The Reason for Being Me
by Ultimateblack
Summary: A lovely day off for Officer Judy Hopps turns into a heart-to-heart with Nick Wilde. Taking place after the events of the missing mammal case, Nick has to decide what he wants to do with his life and whether he is up to the job of becoming a police officer. This is a story of friendship and budding feelings.
1. Chapter 1: Descendant of Robin Hood

_A/N: The trailers for Zootopia really got me into this. This idea had been running around in my mind for days and I really love it. Can't wait till the movie comes out this year XD._

 _Disclaimer: Zootopia belongs to Disney Studios._

* * *

 **The Reason For Being Me**

Chapter 1: Descendant of Robin Hood

Nick Wilde coughed and sputtered, fanning his tongue with his paw. The burning sensation filled his mouth, numbing his taste buds. His tongue felt like a thousand ants were crawling all over it. Next to him, Judy Hopps tried to hold in her mirth but was visibly failing.

"I told you it was hot, but you didn't believe me," she laughed. Nick glared at her.

"I know it was hot, but I didn't expect it to be _scalding,_ " he grumbled.

The two friends had just left Cuzmo's Coffee, one of the lesser known coffee shops in the city located at the lonelier parts of the metropolis. Judy came across it when she was on a case, took pity to Mr. Cuzmo and bought a drink. To her pleasant surprise, the coffee actually tasted better than StarBucks, and it was cheaper too. Soon, she became a regular and tried to get her fellow cops to check the place out. At the moment, she was with Nick on her off day. They were headed to the latter's apartment, located Southwest of Downtown, just twenty minutes away from the stadium where Gazelle frequents for her concerts.

"Duh, it's hot coffee. You were a little too excited to drink it," Judy said and rolled her eyes.

"You said it was nice. I trusted you." Nick pouted, pretending to look hurt.

Judy didn't buy the act. She knew he was just bluffing so she snorted. "Yeah, like you didn't trust me when I said I was a real cop." She thought back to the first time they met each other. Hopps had been a meter maid back then, but she had finally gotten the respect she deserved, thanks to Nick. What if she had never met her new best friend? What if she had never followed him into the ice cream shop with intentions of apprehending him?

 _I wouldn't have had a lead to solve the case at all, and I would probably be home now, selling carrots with my parents,_ she realised. She grudgingly admitted that her prejudice had truly done her good, although in an unexpected way. It was fate that they had met, and it was fate that had saved her sorry butt from losing the dream career she had put so much effort into getting. She had to admit, she was definitely naïve and foolish, for staking her new job over something like that. She subconsciously felt her pocket where her police badge was, only to discover that it wasn't there. Judy panicked for a moment before spotting Nick holding it in his paw, smirking smugly.

"Hey!" Judy swiped her precious badge back from the fox and stored it in her other pocket where it was harder for Nick to reach. "Nick, stop doing that."

The fox shrugged and blew the steam off the surface of his coffee before taking a careful sip. "Then you should probably be more careful with your belongings, carrots. This is Zootopia, not the carrot farm where you came from. There are thieves everywhere, and there's one right there who is dumb enough to try and pickpocket a cheetah of all animals," he said as he pointed across the street. Sure enough, a weasel was racing down the walkway with a brown wallet in his paw while a slim male cheetah was gaining on him, teeth bared in anger.

Unfortunately for the large cat, he was stalled by a crowd of animals he had run into. The smaller and slimmer thief wove his way through the gaps between legs of the passer-byes and belted across the street, dodging the oncoming cars that blared their horns in annoyance.

"Someone stop that thief! He has my wallet!" the cheetah wailed desperately.

The weasel snickered at his lucky getaway, but he hadn't counted that he'd be running right into Zootopia's first and best bunny cop (who happened to be out of uniform) and her trusted sidekick. All he saw was a bunny and a fox standing next to each other, yet more pedestrians that he'd push out of the way.

Thus, he certainly didn't expect Nick to toss his entire cup of scalding hot coffee into his face. Blinded by the still-steaming liquid, the weasel tripped and fell face down onto the hard concrete, his grip on the wallet failing and he threw it into the air. The brown object landed right in the centre of open Nick's paw.

The crowd of animals gasped and watched on as the thief writhed on the ground, trying to wipe the coffee off his facial fur and snorting to remove the liquid from his nostrils. When he finally did, he opened his eyes and glared at Nick. "What on earth, mate?" he yelled and lunged at the fox, only to hit the ground again, with Judy on his back.

"You are under arrest for theft, mister," she announced as she handcuffed the weasel.

"What? No! You got it all wrong, that's _my_ wallet! He was the one who stole it from me," the weasel protested, indicating the cheetah that was running up to them.

Nick chuckled and said, "Uh huh, which is also why this wallet belongs to Mr. Dash McGuire the cheetah eh?" He flipped the brown holder open and showed an ID card with the owner's face on it.

The weasel paled and stuttered, "N-no, I don't know how that got in there. I'm innocent, please!"

"I should think not," a gravely male voice came from behind Nick. The fox looked up to see the towering figure of Officer Fangmeyer in full uniform, folding his arms and frowning down at the handcuffed criminal. "Well done, Officer Hopps. I'll take it from here," he said as he lifted the small mammal by the scruff of his neck, the weasel whimpering at the sight of the tiger's narrowed eyes. Dash McGuire had also joined the party, snarling at the fearful thief.

"You're about to get what's coming, coward," he spat, causing the weasel to shriek and curl into a ball to protect himself. Fangmeyer raised a paw and spoke, "Calm down, mister. You will have to come with me to the station for a while. We'll solve this the right way, okay?"

Mr. McGuire snorted, not taking his furious eyes off the mammal in cuffs, but he didn't act irrationally. Nick cleared his throat and called, "Hey McGuire, this is yours." The cheetah looked down and saw the red fox holding his wallet in an outstretched paw. Taking it and checking to see if all the contents were present, Dash smiled when he found that nothing was absent.

"Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it. Is there any way I can repay you?" he asked gratefully. Nick shrugged, not really caring about repayment.

"It's alright, you don't need to repay me now. Maybe some other day when I need a favour," he replied. Dash nodded eagerly and handed him a business card. Apparently, Mr. McGuire was a businessmammal working for a sports equipment company.

Nick grinned and pocketed the card. Extracting his sunglasses from his breast pocket, he put them on and gave Dash his signature two-fingered salute. "Come on, carrots. Let's go," he called and crossed the street. The traffic lights had just conveniently turned red and the cars had all stopped before the pedestrian lines, their drivers peeking curiously at the spectacle. Judy followed, but not before taking her own cup of coffee which she had unceremoniously handed a stranger who stood nearby, staring awestruck. The crowd then dispersed as ordered by Fangmeyer, of them returning to their daily lives as if nothing had happened.

This was yet another day in the golden city of Zootopia.

* * *

As the fox and rabbit duo resumed their trek back to Nick's apartment, Judy couldn't help but beam at her friend. Pride was what she was feeling at the moment; Nick's quick thinking had resulted in the nearly effortless apprehension of a criminal. Theft was a petty act, but Judy remembered that Weaselton's robbery of what appeared to be mouldy onions was a part of an underground plot to turn against all predators. Small as pickpocketing may be, it was still a step in bringing Zootopia a step closer towards the scum-free dream.

"What?" Nick asked, his snout facing forward but Judy knew from the slight tilt of his head that he was looking at her through his shades.

"Nothing. Here you go." She thrust the coffee cup at him. When Nick raised an eyebrow, she explained, "You lost your coffee because of that weasel, so you can have mine." The fox smiled and took it. He sipped the warm coffee, then he sighed contentedly. "No kidding, this _is_ better than StarBucks," he remarked.

Judy giggled. "Say, that was some cool action back there. You'd make a fine cop. The ZPD could really use someone like you."

Nick snorted and handed her the coffee. He had refused her offer before, and this wouldn't be the last time. "Don't be silly, carrots. We foxes don't do well with the law enforcers. We're not famous for being law abiding citizens, very much the opposite in fact."

The rabbit ran in front of him and stood there, forcing him to halt his steps. "You'll just have to prove them wrong. No-one thought a bunny could be a cop, but here I am. Come on, Nick, show them that foxes are more than con-artists."

The last part was a stab to Nick's feelings. Pursing his lips, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked around Judy. Realising what she had just said, she gasped in horror and hurried to catch up with her friend. "Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You know, I was just saying, not all foxes are the same and you're very different. But there are some foxes who—"

"Enough, carrots. I get it," he said in a firm but soft voice. "Everyone has their reasons for doing what they do. What is yours? Why did you become a cop?"

Judy was taken aback by the question. "Well… it was my dream. I used to live on a farm, in a small town on the southern outskirts. There was a Sheriff that I respected a lot and I wanted to be like him. I wanted to help make the world a better place."

Her fox companion grunted and replied, "I'll tell you mine when we get home. We're almost there." They two walked in silence for the rest of the journey. They came up to a weathered apartment block. They took the elevator to the sixth floor, where Nick's home was. The fox unlocked the door and let his friend in. "Welcome to the Fox's Den, mi casa."

At the doorstep was a dark maroon mat with yellow woven words 'Welcome'. Empty flower pots were stacked upside down, but there was a small one with a turquoise floret sitting on the window sill. Judy walked in and looked around. The house was small but comfortable, unexpectedly clean and dust-free. However, there was a musty smell in the air, causing the bunny to wriggle her nose.

Judy had only a room in an apartment to rent, whereas Nick had the complete quarters to himself, which made her slightly envious. It was fully furnished, had a wholesomely equipped kitchen, and three rooms. It wasn't brand new, but she thought Nick was pretty fortunate to own such a decent home. She wondered if there were other animals that stayed there, and the answer to her question present itself when she came across a locked door with the nameplate Finnick hung on it.

"Do you like it?" Nick asked as he locked his door. He chucked the keys over his shoulder without looking and it landed in a small basket of stationery.

Judy nodded absently as she studied the pictures on the walls. A few of them were family photos and others were of himself. A photo of young Nick with his parents and a birthday cake. A photo of Nick and his parents with fireworks in the background. A photo of an adolescent Nick carrying a baby female fox in his arms. A photo of a teenage Nick chasing the small female fox as she held his GameKid in front of her. A university graduation photo with Nick and his family.

"Those were my parents, and that was my sister Rena," Nick said sadly. He touched the frame of the graduation photo in which all four of them were grinning at the camera.

Judy noticed his choice of words. "Was?" she asked him, "What happened?"

Nick hung his head. "I lost them in an earthquake. My parents didn't make it and my sister's body was never found." That was nine years ago, a week after his convocation. A family vacation that was supposed to a celebration had ended in tragedy. He fought the tears that came to his eyes when the horrible memory surfaced.

Judy's ears drooped. She had apparently brought up a sore subject. She took his paw and held it in her own. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Nick sighed. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're in a happier place now." He looked at her and tried to smile. "Take a seat, I'm going to show you something," Nick pulled out of her grip and went to rummage his room.

Judy sat down on the sofa for a few moments before Nick came back holding a bow and a quiver of arrows. They were carved out of oaken wood. The red fletchings were ruffled and the string looked like it could snap anytime. She looked back and forth between her reddish-brown furred friend curiously.

Nick smiled. "This bow and arrow set has been passed down in my family for generations. Have you heard of the legends of Robin Hood?"

Judy scratched her cheek and nodded slowly. "I have. I think my mother once told it to me and my siblings as a bedtime story. If I remember correctly, it was about an archer who…" Her eyes widened and she leapt down from the sofa. "Is that what I think it is?"

The fox gave her a positive nod and ran a paw over the wooden bow. He turned it around and showed her the underside of the upper limb. "It even has his name here."

Judy stared at the name in awe. She was up close and personal with the living descendant of a supposedly mythical being. "How many animals know about this?" she asked.

"None other than my family and now, you."

Hopps felt a sense of pride and was touched by Nick's trust. "Wow, this is amazing… But how does this relate to you?"

Nick set his precious heirlooms on the table. He sat down on the couch and crossed his legs, clearing his throat before he spoke, "After I came home from my… unpleasant induction ceremony with the Rangers, I swore that I would show everyone what they wanted to see: a deceitful fox. I think my dad saw through it because he told me tales of Robin Hood and his Sherwood friends almost every night after that. He said that Robin Hood was a great being who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Most versions of the story nowadays don't say that he is a fox because apparently, a fox can't be such noble," he said bitterly.

Judy took the bow and examined it. The wood was surprisingly well-preserved for an antique like it. She lightly plucked the string, and the taut line vibrated in a low pitched hum. Unlike what she expected, the thin rope did not break into half. Nick watched her and continued his story.

"Dad told me that although the world didn't see us as good mammals, we would still try and prove them wrong because someday, somebody would understand." He smiled at Judy, who returned it. "And he did manage to get through to me cuz I softened up and aspired to be like my new idol after that."

"You don't expect me to believe that you steal from the rich to give to the poor, do you?" she scorned.

"Yes. No. Not exactly. Well, I started doing this in high school and continued in college and university. Rich bullies who picked on others, they were my targets. Wealthy snobs who flaunted their cash, you got it. I took a part of my... earnings for myself and gave the rest to my poorer friends. The way I saw it, if the rich buggers could afford to live life luxuriously, they could afford to buy us some food and bare necessities. I never took more than I need to."

"Then what about that time you scammed me into buying you a jumbo pop?"

Sighing, Nick replied, "Those times were different. When I was younger, the world was so simple. I saw rich brats, so I punished them for being so and helped others. But after I lost my parents, I sank into depression. I couldn't get a job easily because corporate companies didn't like hiring foxes to work for them, and my parents were never that well off in the first place. Unlike the way I used to help others, nobody came to my aid when I was in need. I realised that the world wasn't cruel, it was just me who was too kind.

I blamed everyone for my miserable life. I blamed the Junior Rangers for forcing me to wear the mask of deception, I blamed God for taking my family away from me, and most of all I blamed the city for being how it has been towards foxes." Tears flowed from his eyes and Judy hugged him comfortingly.

"So I decided that the city didn't deserve a Robin Hood anymore. It deserved my cold wrath. I became a con artist, pushing all thoughts of getting a legal job, finding my Maid Marian and settling down. The anger I hadn't felt since I was eight resurfaced, and I vowed to show the world that I would survive, even if it meant taking from others.

"And that's how I met Finnick. Boy, was it an absolute pleasure to scam the hell out of others, make them give me money without realising what they were actually buying."

Officer Hopps frowned. Despite the cruel relish in the fox's tone, she could detect a discernible amount of guilt and sadness. It was then that she knew Nick did hurt inside under the mask of coolness she always saw him wear. She gripped Nick's paw tightly and patronized, "Is this what your parents would have wanted, Nick? Is it what your dad would have wanted? I don't think he'd be happy if he knew you doing goes against his philosophy."

He looked the Judy seriously. "My dad's philosophy didn't help me make a living. Let's face it, carrots. I chose to be who I am, and I can't change that, not when I am already so deep in the mud."

Judy's gaze softened. "No, Nick, you _can_. You can start over, be rid of your past. I can help you find a job, I know a few kind people. What you're doing is not right at all, so let me help you. You opened _my_ eyes, and we're supposed to be mortal enemies, so what makes you think you can't show the world that you are special?"

Nick avoided her gaze and stared at Robin's bow. His ears were droopy just like his friend's, and his jaw was clenched tightly. She put her paw on his. "Change starts with you, Nick. Because only by changing yourself can you change the world. I know that much. Promise me you won't ever con again."

When he didn't answer, Judy moved in front of him and cupped his face, forcing him to make eye contact. "Promise me?" she said fiercely, purple eyes gazing into emerald green.

The fox sighed. "I promise." He pulled the bunny into a tight embrace.

"To think that I would have probably carried on doing what I did, if I hadn't met you at all… Thank you," he said softly.

Judy smiled as she pressed her head into his chest. She thought about how he helped her in the past and how much they had been through. Their destinies had crossed, and now their lives were as tightly intertwined as they could be.

She whispered back, "No, thank _you._ "

And so they stayed like that for a while, silently enjoying the moment without a care in the world.

* * *

 _A/N: I love these two. They'd make a great couple, although it's up to Disney to determine if they'll be friends or more. Did anyone see what I did with StarBUCKS? Guess what animal owns that franchise ;D. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed._

 _EDIT 7/9/2016: After almost a year of writing, I came back to take a look at my work and I decided that it really needed a rewrite. My skills have improved slightly, so this one needs some touching up, or perhaps a complete makeover._

 _In the original version of this chapter, Nick became a con artist and thief to emulate his ancestor and idol, Robin Hood. However, I felt like this could have been done better and I wanted to follow the canon film closer. So in this updated version, Nick became a con artist for revenge and to survive in a world where foxes are usually mistreated, much like the film. The chapter is now twice as long as it originally was, and more immersive as well._

 _Also, check out J Shute Norway's stories. He's a very good writer and I'm glad to have beta read his latest fic._

 _I'll be back to rewrite chapters 2 & 3 soon, ciao. Remember to review, because it really helps me out and gives me a push to update ;) _


	2. Chapter 2: Cute

Chapter 2: Cute

Judy's ears twitched as she heard the offensive word. She stopped in her tracks and looked around frantically to see who said it, but the animals continued walking around her, paying no heed. Giraffes strode past on their long legs, antelopes jogged by sporting running wear while listening to their iPods and the hamster brothers scurried past. Most of the pedestrians were either on their phones, talking to another animal or just walking silently.

Eyes darting in various directions but not detecting the speaker, she sighed. It must have just been her being overly sensitive. She continued her walk to the post office where Nick was.

As she walked to the entrance, she spotted a security guard sitting at the desk by the door. The brown bulldog looked up from his newspaper and at Judy. His nametag said Greg and he had a frown on his face. At least Judy thought it was a frown, she could never really tell with bulldogs. The bunny lifted a paw in greeting and Greg nodded his head gruffly before returning to his newspaper.

Judy opened the door and stepped in. Zootopia's secondary postage (the first being Zootopia Delivery) and shipping service was run by donkeys and horses. It was unceremoniously named Alucard's Shipping Services after its founder. Judy never understood why her fellow cops always sniggered whenever the name was mentioned.

There were numerous branches around the city, and Judy was at the one nearest to Nick's place. The building was buzzing with animals. Some stood at the counters while the others either sat on the chairs provided. Medium full to packed, was how Judy would have described it, unlike the giant queues she saw when she and Nick had visited the DMV office. Thankfully the place wasn't run by sloths, or she would have screamed. It was completely against her nature to have things run at that horribly sluggish pace.

Judy looked around and spotted a familiar looking red fox. Nick sat in the crowd, typing away on his phone. He didn't seem to notice Judy walk towards him, but when she took a seat next to the fox, he said, "What took you so long? I thought bunnies were supposed to be fast."

The bunny rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Clawhauser? Cheetahs are supposed to be fast as well. What are you even doing here anyway?"

Nick checked the paper slip in his paw and glanced at the number being served. He was two numbers away. "I missed the delivery yesterday. I had to come and pick it up myself." A 'ding-dong' was heard and the number on the screen went up by one.

"What are you collecting anyway? I hope it's not something illegal," Judy said.

Her friend put a paw on his chest and pretended to look hurt. He said dramatically, "Aww carrots, you know me. I wouldn't possibly do something like that. Besides, I don't do illegal."

Judy was unperturbed. Her ears flattened behind her head and she glared at Nick.

"Shucks c'mon, whiskers. That was so long ago. I already spent the money and if I could pay the poor bloke back, I would have."

The cop shook her head. "Nick, you promised me you would change your ways. It's your first job interview in two days, is your resume even ready?"

Nick shrugged. "Hey, two days is pretty far away. Besides, today is Valentine's Day! We should be out celebrating or something like that. Today is a day for you to take a mind off work," he drawled happily.

Judy smiled amusedly. This was one of the times when she got exasperated by Nick and his attitude of not caring. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel infected by his happiness. "Do you have a Valentine, Mr Wilde?" she teased.

The fox grinned. "Nope, not at the moment. Would you like to be mine, cutie pie?"

"I'll pass, and don't call me cute. Have you ever dated anyone before?"

Nick scratched his chin thoughtfully. Wrinkling his snout, he said, "Yes, a vixen or two. We never lasted though, most likely because foxes mate for life and we weren't all that ready to commit. And then there was this female…" his expression turned dreamy. "She was absolutely gorgeous, perfect in every way. Full of energy, optimistic to the core and just lovely to be around. Kinda like someone I know," he said, giving his friend a wink.

Blushing, Judy jutted her bottom lip. She pressed on, "What happened then?"

The smile faded from the fox's countenance, leaving an expression of melancholy and longing. "I don't know. She just… disappeared. Didn't leave me a message, didn't pick up my calls, hell she even packed her things and left. She ghosted me, the vixen I thought was the one ghosted me."

Another ding-dong sounded, and all around them animals looked up to check if their number was called. Feeling sorry for her friend, Judy placed a paw on his furry arm. She gave him an understanding look and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Nick smiled back at her. "It's okay, my existence has been nothing less of a rocky ride anyway. But enough of my love life, what about yours? I think you'd have already had lots of experience in this matter eh?" He waggled his eyebrows, causing Judy to elbow him.

"Much less than you think. I never had the time to pay attention about all of this. I was more focused on my studies and on preparing to join the ZPD. I was more of an oddball in my class, didn't fit in because I wanted to be different," she explained.

"Well, that makes two of us. Oh, there we go." The TV screen that displayed the queue numbers gave another ding-dong and now had Nick's on it. "Number 17… Where is counter 17…" he muttered as he scanned the numbers on the countertops until he found the one he was looking for. Hurriedly getting up and striding over, he crossed the distance and came up to the counter where a female horse was sitting at. "I'd like to collect my package, thank you," he spoke politely, handing the worker a memo that was left in his letterbox, containing his shipping code and delivery details. The donkey read it and stood up without another word, clopping into the storage room where Nick's parcel was kept.

Judy walked up to the counter, barely reaching the top. Unlike the counters at the DMV, this one was quite tall and she had to tiptoe to see what was happening above. Nick tilted his head towards her and muttered, "You know, the horses who work here should probably smile more often, or take a break maybe. I can't help but wonder what's with their long faces."

Annoyed and amused by the joke, she tried to stomp on his rear paws. She forgot that she was tiptoeing, causing her to lose balance. Nick shot out his paw and steadied her, snickering at her expense. "Calm down, carrots. You don't have to impress me with such a feet." Judy groaned at the pun.

The mare returned with Nick's item. She slid it across the table top and then passed Nick a slip to sign. He did so and took his parcel, which was almost half his size and yet deceivingly light. It was wrapped in brown parcel paper and had a stamp for 'fragile object, this way up' on it. "Thank you ma'am, mare the force with you," he curtsied. The horse gave him a look and clicked on the computer to call the next customer in line.

After they exited the building, Judy inquired curiously, "what's in it?" Her friend grinned.

"You'll find out when we get to my place."

* * *

When they reached, Nick set his delivery on the coffee table and spoke up. "You know, there's something that had been bothering me for some time."

"Yeah, what?"

"Why can't I call you cute?" The first few times he called her cute, she had called him out for it.

The effect on his bunny friend was instantaneous. Her ears flattened against the back of her head, her lips pursed in annoyance, and her nose began twitching rapidly.

"See? You get upset whenever that C-word is said. Come on, tell me why it bothers you so much. We can't forever be running from our problems," he beckoned.

Judy folded her arms defensively, replying, "It's not that I don't like being called cute, it's just a rule that only bunnies get to call each other cute. When other animals do it, it's considered rude."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be any different?"

A harrumph. "Because when other animals call us cute, it's derogatory," was her curt reply.

Flabbergasted by the answer that did nothing more than raise another question, he prodded deeper. "How exactly is that derogatory? You bunnies _are_ cute, after all. It's a compliment."

Judy bristled, feeling insulted by her friend's ignorance. "No it's not a compliment. When we are called cute, it usually is an underestimating remark," she shot back in a raised voice. In a falsetto, she mimicked, "'Oh my, look at that cute bunny', 'I can't believe they'd choose a cute little rabbit for this', 'cute bunnies can't be cops'. It's insulting! They never use cute as a compliment, only to belittle us!"

Nick's jaw dropped. He also folded his arms across his chest. "I still don't get it. It's like saying elephants are thick skinned or mules are stubborn. It's just the truth, it's a definitive description."

Judy paced the living room agitatedly, practically screaming at Nick. "You don't understand, it is a word that is used to describe our entire species and not in a good way! Calling us cute is basically saying we are incapable of being anything else but soft, weak creatures. Most bunnies are farmers who live outside the metropolis and animals look down on us because of that. You don't like it when you're called shifty or sly, do you? Then why can't you accept that we don't like being called cute?"

Nick stepped back, startled by the outburst. He held his paws up, opening his mouth to reply but he was cut off by the raging officer.

"I thought that by becoming the first rabbit officer I could at least show the world that we bunnies are more than just 'cute', more than just dumb carrot farmers but it didn't change a single. Damn. THING!" she dropped to her knees, hugged herself and sobbed.

Nick pursed his lips. He squatted in front of Judy and said, "But you did show them. You solved the big case and saved Zootopia from a terrible fate. The people may not all recognise you at once but you sure inspired many rabbits to be something else. You have to be a role model, Judy. You have to show them all that you are not ashamed to be called cute and you won't let it get to you."

She glared at him with red eyes, shooting back, "What do you know?"

Snorting, Nick said, "Carrots I have been called sly, shifty, untrustworthy, a liar and many more names throughout my entire life and unlike you, those words don't have any other meaning than what they intend. You know what I think? You bunnies have taken the C-word and totally 'appropriated' it."

Judy sniffled. "I don't like it. It reminds me of how small I am, of how fragile I am. It's not nice."

"I know how you feel, Judy. My entire heritage and breed gets insulted all the time. But you, you have the right to choose not to get insulted. Will you stand up and defy expectations, show them that you accept you are cute but not beneath them?" He lifted her chin with a finger and locked eyes with her.

Judy sighed "Maybe… There are many who do not take lightly to being called cute. My brother once pounced on a raccoon for calling him cute."

Nick chuckled, picturing the humorous scene in his mind. "They'll just have to learn. But if it makes you feel better, I will try not to call you that."

"No… You get a pass. What better way to get started then by having my best friend put me to the challenge?" she replied. She stood up and exhaled deeply, now radiantly beaming down at Nick.

"That's the spirit, officer." Smiling himself, the fox rose to his full height and walked over to his forgotten parcel. He raised his index finger, sliding a sharp, hooked claw out of the cutaneous shaft and tore open the wrapping. The box underneath was glossy black, and when Judy got a good look at it, she found it was the casing of a 1/100 Darth Grazer building kit.

She gazed at Nick in surprise. "You build models? That's so—"

"Cute, I know," he interjected with a sly grin. "Just like you are. Oof!" Judy had tackled him onto the couch, eyes narrowed at him.

"You have uttered the forbidden word… Death by tickles!" There was no malice in her tone, and she had a cheeky grin on her face. Peals of laughter filled the apartment as the two friends got into another one of their tickle fights.

For Judy, it was a step towards changing herself, her perception of herself, and her perception of other's perception of her. As for Nick, he would one day watch proudly as Judy stands up to some ignorant blokes and admit that she was cute but she was not afraid to be called so.

* * *

 _A/N: Well surprise, I finally got the second chapter out. I got inspiration from the 'Meet Clawhauser' clip, and if you have already watched it you'd know._

 _I can't really believe that Disney just went there and equated 'cute' with the N-word that black people find offensive. Granted this is kinda funny because rabbits ARE cute and the fact that they hate to be called so when it's supposedly a compliment is hilarious. However, I never thought I'd see the day when Disney takes an issue like the N-word and give it its own funny spin._ _I'd like to apologize if anyone gets offended by this chapter. I, in no way, am insinuating that African Americans should accept being called the N-word._

 _EDIT 8/9/2016: This chapter, like the previous received a huge makeover, resulting in double the word count. I removed much of the original dialogue and improved the pacing, as well as added some jokes. Don't you think Nick isn't exactly Nick without his puns, charismatic jokes and overall matured personality? Also, the original story had mules, I changed them to donkeys and horses because mules are mostly sterile and I doubt there'd be enough mules to handle the whole service. The overall tone is changed as well, if you have read the old version then you will notice._

 _I will take a look at chapter 3 tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed this nice little chapter. Don't forget to leave a review because I love hearing from you. Cheers!_


	3. Chapter 3: Jobless

Chapter 3: Jobless

 _A/N: Hey, dear readers. Wow, I can't believe it. 34 favourites and 43 followers. You guys amaze me. Thank you all so much for the support I appreciate it. So as a reward, I spent quite some time on a longer chapter for you to enjoy. It does contain spoilers so, fair warning._

 _I just went and watched Zootopia recently and it was great, albeit quiteY predictable. I mean, with all the trailers and footage shown by the marketing team, it's pretty easy to piece together what's going to happen. I already imagined the whole story before I went in, thanks to some spoilers, and I was pleased to find that there were some unexpected twists and details I did not see coming. The animation was superb, colourful and just so enjoyable to watch. It is definitely a good film to watch._

 _So at the end of the movie Nick becomes a cop, but my version of Nick refused to take up Judy's offer and is still unemployed. Since I, as usual, try to follow canon as closely as possible even though my characters have slight variations, here is a chapter about Nick trying to get a job. Enjoy!_

 _DISCLAIMER: Zootopia is a product of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Only this fic is mine._

* * *

This was a new experience for Nick. Never before had he had to sit down outside an office, waiting for his name to be called. Needless to say, he didn't like it that much. He didn't know much about interviews. In fact, this was the fourth time for him since he last applied for that Prefect post in grade school and those two job interviews ages ago after he graduated. That was so long ago that he had gotten rusty.

"Don't worry about it," Judy had assured him. "All you have to do is look good, answer their questions and you should be well off."

The thing was, when he did a bit of online reading, he wasn't really sure how to answer them. He practised on his own and it didn't go as smoothly as he hoped. So he procrastinated and busied himself with other stuff.

His resume was a pain to write as well. He would have never thought about getting a job until that talk a week ago and until Judy had slid a flyer across the table. He had never needed a job. Not long after he graduated he lost his parents in the earthquake and he tried to get a job. He was rejected for both and had to resort to what he had done well in the past – scamming and stealing. Finnick had been his business partner for years now, although there were several others that he had worked before.

"Documents, check. Phone on silent, check. Looking adequate, check," he muttered.

There was a row of blue plastic seats outside the door, which had the words "Manager Henderson" emblazoned on it. The fox fidgeted in his seat, trying to calm his nerves. He smoothed out his navy blue button-up shirt for the umpteenth time, picking at his collar. Blue didn't really suit him. Green had always been his colour, but he hadn't thought of getting one for this occasion. He mentally slapped himself for that.

He glanced around the hallway, taking in his surroundings. Animals in suits walked past him, holding documents in their paws or speaking into phones. A panther strode by casually, sipping his mug of coffee. A bear lumbered past, glancing briefly at Nick out of the corner of her eye. A mouse scampered across the floor, chattering rapidly into his earpiece. Most of them raised questioning eyebrows or looked slightly surprised but none of them spoke. It made the fox squirm.

Gripping the document file on his lap tighter, Nick took a deep breath. _Don't let them see you vulnerable. Don't let them know that they got to you. Remember your motto, Wilde,_ he thought to himself.

Then, _this shirt is making my neck itch._

His thought drifted off to Judy, who was at work at the time. He wondered what case was she on right now. It would probably be exciting. Judy had often told him about how she loved her work. The way she exaggeratedly described being a police officer was entertaining.

He was starting to wonder if he should have taken up her offer of becoming a cop.

"Nick Wilde, come in. We will see you now," a female voice came from his left. The door had opened and a lioness stood there. She was dressed formally from head to toe, sporting a nametag that said "Pam". She gave Nick a kind smile. His heart beating fast, the fox put on his own grin and got up to enter the room.

As soon as he stepped foot into the office, Nick set his eyes on the interviewer and his possible employer. Mr Henderson was a badger, probably around 50 (in fox years). He sat on a black armchair behind his desk, drumming his claws on the table softly. Next to him was a vacant armchair, presumably for the lioness that had opened the door. He peered at Nick through the lens of the glasses that sat on his snout. "Good morning, Mr Wilde. Have a seat," the badger said in a deep voice, waving a paw at the empty chair. It wasn't as comfortable looking as what Mr Henderson had but Nick sat down anyway, still smiling as he returned the greeting.

Pam, the lioness closed the door behind him and sat down next to Mr Henderson. She gave Nick a supportive smile that said _good luck_ and he felt some of his confidence return. _I've got this,_ he told himself. _This shouldn't be that bad._

To his dismay, Mr Henderson opened with the question he dreaded the most.

"What can you tell us about yourself, Mr Wilde?"

 _Oh great, what should I say?_

No matter how he thought about it at home, he hadn't been able to come up with an impressive answer. How could he possibly talk about this?

He considered doing what he once told Judy during her first public talk, but decided against it. Distraction techniques wouldn't be suitable in this context. Letting his smile falter a bit, he tried the sympathy ploy.

"Well sir, I lost my parents and sister in the earthquake years ago and am currently living alone in Zootopia, but that hasn't gotten me down. I'm searching for a job that can support my future family. I want to contribute to society (ahem, and to this company of course), make my dead parents proud, you know?"

Nick could see that it the answer worked on Pam because she gave him a sympathetic look. Henderson, however, wasn't so impressed. The manager asked, "What would you say are your strengths?"

 _Ah, familiar territory._ Nick relaxed slightly. This was one question he could answer. "Ah, my strengths. Um, I believe have quick thinking skills and am fast to respond. I usually find a solution to a problem relatively quickly and even if it stumps me I don't give up easily. Also, I feel my marketing skills are quite good." _If they weren't I wouldn't have survived so long on scam sales._

Mr Henderson regarded the fox quietly for a while before moving on to the next question. The interview went on for what seemed like forever to Nick before it finally came to an end. Mr Henderson drank from the bottle of water on his desk and cleared his throat. He adjusted the round spectacles his snout and spoke, "Well Mr Nick Wilde, you do seem decent for a candidate of employment," but his next words wiped the smile off Nick's face. "Unfortunately, you do not meet the requirements we are looking for," said the interviewer.

The badger glanced at Nick's information on the resume. "You have a degree in Accounting and Hospitality but that was acquired around 6 years ago. You have been unemployed for so long and you had not tried getting a legal job. I checked through your criminal records and you aren't completely clean."

He scratched his chin and continued, "Three cases of reported scamming, suspected of theft and of course, tax evasion. I assume the 'sales experiences' you have are from selling popsicles by the roadside?"

Nick bit his cheek. He had no response against that. There was nothing he could say to defend himself.

"I'm sorry, Mr Wilde, but we cannot hire someone who has little actual working experience. Even if we did employ you, you'd be at the lowest rank of the hierarchy, an errand runner at most. I believe that is not of your best interests, yes?"

Nick nodded slowly to that.

Henderson sighed. "It's a pity actually. Emmit Otterton heard from your friend Ms Hopps that you needed a job and requested I give you a chance."

 _Judy told Emmit?_ Nick felt grateful that his bunny friend actually went around helping him hunt for a job. Too bad it didn't work out. _That dumb little bunny really does care._

"Emmit told me that you helped save his life and since he is one of my close friends, I am grateful. I expected more from you (and still do), Mr Wilde. But for the sake of the company, I cannot hire you yet for you do not meet our expectations," the badger said.

His expression softened, "However, I will give you a chance again to apply for a post in the future. Perhaps you could work for a small firm and gain some working experience. Maybe I will see you again on your next job application."

Feeling that would be the best offer he could get, Nick sighed. Even though he was disappointed on the inside, he put on his smile again and said smoothly, "I guess you're right. I'll take your advice. Good day to you, sir. Ma'am." He shook their paws and exited the office. Pam watched him go sadly. "Better luck next time. Hope you manage to get a good job someplace else," she wished him.

After Nick left, she turned to Henderson. She commented, "You didn't really want to give him a chance, did you?"

The badger's lips curled. "You know me all too well, Pam. I was being honest when I said I was grateful, but it is a debt that I cannot repay in this way. At least, not just yet."

"Do you think he will be back some day? He does have potential. I sense it in him," she said softly.

Shrugging, Henderson said, "Who knows? If he ever does, and with a better CV too, then we'll gladly accept him."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next few days, Nick found out that getting employed was no easy task. He was turned down for every application, or the best answer he got was that they would 'consider his application'. Most of them told him he didn't meet the requirements for the post, some were distrustful of foxes, and one of the interviewers (whom Nick had unwittingly insulted long ago) had him booted out of the door the second he walked in.

Running out of choices, Nick had resorted to starting from scratch, working as a cashier at a fast food restaurant for a while. The pay was pretty bad and he went home every day smelling of grease. He did not enjoy it, but he tried not to let it show. The income could at least minimally reduce his reliance on the diminishing fortune he saved up over the years.

Like all bad days, Nick's came at an unfortunate moment. That very morning the power to the whole apartment block where the red fox stayed was cut due to a failure, so Nick had been forced to shower in cold water. Of course, he had no coffee and trudged to work grumpily. To make things worse, a few customers kept switching their orders indecisively and insisted on paying with foreign currency.

Nick reigned in his temper, forcing a smile and instead getting the manager (who happened to be an intimidating rhino) to deal with the impertinent customers. The final straw came when a spoilt young elephant made a fuss over his food and threw a tantrum in the restaurant, chugging his drink all over Nick who had had the misfortune to walk past.

For the first time since forever, the fox lost control of his emotions. The pent up frustration accumulation from the day burst through as the floodgates opened. He swung his paw across the elephant's face with a resounding _slap._ Every animal the entire restaurant turned their heads towards the scene and realisation of what he had done sank into Nick.

The fox paled as the kid stared back with a shocked expression and burst into tears. Nick panicked, cupping the calf's face and saying softly, "No, don't cry. Please stop crying. I'm so sorry…" The young elephant began to wail and his parents stood up, towering over Nick menacingly.

"How dare you!" the father roared. He moved forward to strike Nick who stepped back in fear but another shadow appeared behind the fox. The manager, Mr Turner, placed his hand on the elephant's shoulder.

"Enough, don't disturb the others when they're enjoying their meals," he spoke in a deep voice. His tone was calm, but there was a slight hint of warning in it. The other customers took that as their cue to mind their own businesses. He glanced at the wailing kid, whose mother was trying to calm him. The rhino sprouted a toy and gave it to the youngling. He patted the calf on the head as his cries turned into sobs, perking up at the gift.

The larger elephant relaxed and thanked Mr Turner. He then glared at Nick who cowered behind the huge rhino. The tusked mammal growled, "You should be fired. Your kind should not be allowed to work here." Nick's gasped. His ears flattened and his shoulders sagged. Trying hard not to have a breakdown, he ran to the back of the restaurant.

Manager Turner frowned and shook his head. "That was not a nice thing to say. You hurt his feelings," said the rhino.

" _He_ hurt my son! He deserved it."

Turner growled. "Even so, it will not do for you to insult the entire fox species because of one individual's actions." He turned and walked to the back. He found Nick packing his belongings. The fox had changed out of the yellow uniform and was wearing his usual green shirt.

Nick didn't even look up as he said. "I'm resigning. It's better than having you fire me."

Sighing, Mr Turner spoke gently, "Are you going to let a hurdle like that stop you? All you had was a bad day. I sensed it the moment you reported for duty this morning that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

Nick shook his head. He zipped his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "That guy said it himself. My kind shouldn't be allowed to work here. He's right you know," he replied defiantly. He had once resolved to live up to what people thought a fox was, and this was a good time to test his resolve.

The manager snorted. "You're not thinking straight. You're taking this too seriously. I'm doing you a favour here. Tomorrow everything will be back to normal."

Staring back at Turner balefully, Nick said, "Sir, you are a _very_ kind animal and I really, really respect how you have treated me for the past few weeks. But with all due respect, you are doing me and yourself a bigger favour by letting me go. I just can't continue to damage the reputation of this branch."

Both mammals locked gazes for a moment before the larger one sighed. Manager Turner could see the determination in the fox's eyes and all arguments that he was being unreasonable died in his throat. The rhino closed his eyes and said, "Very well. Your resignation is accepted. Farewell and best of luck." They shook paws and Nick exited from the rear, but not before promising to wash the uniform and return it later.

Nick's apartment had not gotten the power back yet. After shivering through yet another cold shower, the fox sat on his couch and flipped through a magazine. He felt his head grow heavier and his body was beginning to ache all over.

 _Great, now what?_

* * *

As opposed to Nick's really horrible day, Judy was having a blast. She had just finished parking duty (despite all that she went through, Chief Bogo still gave her half a day of parking duty occasionally to remind her not to get too full of herself) and had finished all her paperwork. It was essentially free time for her now. She took out her phone and to text Nick.

'Hey, are we going out for dinner tonight?' she wrote.

Oddly enough, his reply came a little later than usual. 'Not tonight. Coming down with a cold,' was his answer.

 _Oh no,_ she thought. Her best friend was sick!

At the moment, it was still four in the afternoon. She still had an hour before her shift ended. But there wasn't anything she could do for now. She texted back, telling Nick to get some rest and promising that she would be there right after work. When he didn't reply, Judy knew that Nick had fallen asleep.

Immediately at 5 pm sharp, Judy hurriedly punched out and rushed from ZPD to Nick's apartment. Using the spare keys that Nick had entrusted her with to unlock the door, she quietly walked in. She spotted her fox friend lying on the long sofa, wrapped in a blanket. A wet towel lay on his head and he was sleeping. Near the couch was a coffee table, the one Nick had opened his package on weeks ago. On it was a small pail, some medicine and a thermometer.

Briefly glancing up at the still ceiling fan, Judy picked the thermometer off the coffee table and placed it in Nick's mouth. He did have a fever, but he wasn't burning up to dangerous temperatures.

Slowly, his emerald green eyes opened and Nick tilted his head to look at his friend. "Hey carrots," he said weakly.

Judy smiled faintly. She asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty bad. It has been a long day," he grunted, trying to sit up but Judy pushed him back down. "I had better," he said.

Judy couldn't help but notice the bitterness in his tone. Something must have gone horribly wrong for him to not even mask his emotions. Not pushing forward, she said, "I'm going to make you some soup." Then she hurried off to the kitchen.

When she opened the fridge, she frowned when the blast of cool air did not greet her. It then hit her that the apartment did not have any electricity. She had thought it was just Nick not turning on the fan because of his fever but it apparently was more. Thankfully Nick's fridge was not full of food.

"I can't make soup like this… I'm going to order takeout," she muttered. Picking up her phone, she rang up the nearest restaurant, the one Nick took her to once. She placed an order for herbal soup and gave the receptionist Nick's address.

Meanwhile, she removed her vest and placed it on a chair. The heat was starting to get to her. Grabbing a magazine, she sat down near Nick and began fanning the air. Her fox friend slept fitfully, and it worried Judy to see him like that.

In half an hour, the soup had arrived. Judy woke Nick up, took a spoon and began feeding her friend. After the content of bowl was almost completely gone, Nick was feeling a little better. He said, "You don't have to do this, carrots."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Nonsense, you're sick. Taking care of you is my obligatory duty." She fed him another spoonful.

Enjoying the sensation of the sweet, hot soup flow down his throat, Nick replied, "Is there anything that isn't a duty to you?"

Judy ignored him. After a while, she asked, "Did Mr Turner send you home early?"

Nick cleared his throat softly and looked away. "Um… yeah, he did."

Sensing the lie, she furrowed her brow. "Nick," she pushed on, "What happened?"

The fox looked back after a moment of silence. He said, "I quit."

The answer shocked Judy. "Why?" she questioned.

"I couldn't work there anymore."

Again, she asked, "Why?"

Nick's lips curled. "I just couldn't."

Sighing in annoyance, Judy reprimanded him. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde," she started, causing Nick to wince, "you cannot just let your emotions take over logical reasoning. What are you going to do now?"

Massaging his stiff neck, Nick said, "I don't know."

"That's not an answer."

Anger surged through Nick again, but fatigue kept him from lashing out. "You have no idea what I went through today. It didn't help when some brat decided to mess it up even worse and have his father insult my entire species thereafter," said the fox with as much contempt as he could muster, but he still sounded pretty weak.

 _That's it, Nick. Keep talking,_ the bunny thought.

Although Judy was taken aback by the outburst and reveal of information but she kept a straight face and listened.

Nick struggled to sit up. His body felt like lead and his head was throbbing. "I broke my rule of not letting anyone see my emotions, and worse I… I… I hurt a _child_ ," he snarled, disgusted at himself. "His father said that my kind shouldn't be allowed to work there."

Judy's expression softened. She placed the nearly empty bowl on the table and took his limp paw in her own. "Oh, Nick…"

Her friend squeezed her paw, his eyes closed and his lips trembled. "At first, it was those rangers; then throughout the years, it was everyone else. Why?! I just want a normal life, no matter how I kept telling myself that the world would see the sly fox that they wanted to see," he choked out.

Judy felt heartbroken to see her friend that vulnerable. It was one thing to call and stereotype a bunny as cute but it was another to insult a whole race. It was kind of harsh to have said that. Thinking of her response for a second, she soothed, "For the record, it is okay to be vulnerable. We bunnies do benefit from being emotional after all."

When Nick snorted, she continued, "You were never meant to be normal, because you are special. If I can see that, then everyone else will. They just haven't seen it yet, and you haven't shown them too."

Nick opened his mouth and slowly closed it. "Then what should I do?" he questioned.

"What does your heart say?"

He held back the urge to respond with sarcasm. She sounded like a fairy tale, with big dreams that come true. _As long as you follow your heart and chase your dreams, you can achieve great things._ He wished life was that simple as that.

But Judy was living proof of what she had just said. She had big dreams of becoming an officer since young and tons of times she had been shot down by others. Her own parents tried to discourage her, reality had been cruel, and even he himself had been hard on her. But she still stepped up to the challenge, defied expectations and became the first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department.

It was then that Nick realised he was jealous of Judy. He was jealous of her being so strong, and he was jealous that she could still get up and try again even though life sucker punched her often enough. He admired her determination, and he had tried to change her.

 _Maybe after all this time, I was the one who had to change?_

Internally, Nick asked himself what he really wanted. His childhood dreams to be a Junior Ranger Scout had been utterly crushed, leaving a psychological scar so deep that gave him resolve to live life as a conman. But deep down, he knew that his still had a pure heart. He hated seeing other being oppressed. He sympathized with them and wanted to help.

 _Just like Robin Hood,_ he realised.

He took and stole, but he never kept it all to himself. When he was ten, he pickpocketed from a rich pedestrian who kicked a homeless beaver's coin cup, spilling the change everywhere, then he gave half of the money to the beaver. At the age of twelve, right after the horrible incident, he conned the school bullies out of their daily 'lunch money' using cheap magic tricks and little gambling games. He also got back some of the stuff taken by said bullies and gave them back to their victim owners. As an adult, a small part of his income went to charity.

Nick may have given up on his dream to join the scouts and achieve true acceptance, but the fox that enjoyed helping the needy, the young cub who looked up to Robin Hood, never died at all. He wanted to bring justice to the world, and there was a perfect job for that. He made a decision, one that he should have made ages ago.

"Judy, does your offer to be your partner still stand?"

Slowly, the rabbit's lips widened into a smile. She reached into her pocket and drew out her wallet, picking a folded piece of paper from it. She handed it to Nick, saying, "When it's you, Nick, it stands forever."

The fox took the paper and unfolded it. He recognised his own handwriting. His heart melted knowing that Judy had kept the form after all this time. He pulled the rabbit into a fierce hug, which she returned. Just then, the lights returned and the fan began to spin. He broke the hug, his towel falling off his head.

"Thank you," he spoke sincerely as he lay down again.

Judy beamed and wet the towel, squeezing it dry and replacing it on Nick's forehead. Taking the form and tucking the fox in, she said, "You're welcome. Now get some sleep." She stood up, turned off the lights and gave her friend one last look before she went into the kitchen to wash the bowl, leaving Nick to rest.

Nick stared at the ceiling. His thoughts turned to his parents and his sister.

 _What do you know, mom, dad, sweet little Rena. I'm going to be a cop. I'm going to wear a uniform, just like I always wanted to. I hope you're proud of me._

He went to sleep with happy thoughts, for once in decades.

 _Perhaps life is looking up after all…_

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter was such a lovely one to write. Even without romance these two have a beautiful relationship/friendship. I ship them both, and no one is sinking that!_

 _There are some many messages that this chapter delivers including the difficulty of applying for a job and actually getting employed, separating favours from priority, willingness to start from the bottom and reigning in your emotions. It is perfectly fine to show emotions because it's hard for others to read your mind. Then you won't end up like Nick as well since his pent up frustration led to a sudden action of embarrassment and shame. Then there's following your dreams that I'm not going to talk about. Something major that I addressed in this chapter is painting everyone with a single brush. I know it's heavy, but it needs to be said. We cannot judge everybody else based on one person's actions. That's how fear and prejudice is spread._

 _The thing I love about Zootopia is that it is the perfect channel for underlying messages that can be said without making it seem too glaring. There's so much food for thought. In fact, basically, the premise of this story is more or less telling life lessons. But I assure you that there is a bigger plot behind everything_ _. We will get to that at some point but not so soon._

 _Hope you had a good time reading and as always, please leave a review, favourite and follow. See you next time ;)_


	4. Chapter 4: Acceptance

Chapter 4: Acceptance and defying expectations

Bogo was a morning animal. He loved waking up at daybreak to meditate before he went on to punch-in for work. His Chief Commanding Officer uniforms were always ironed smooth and his house was dirt-free. He was never late, and his coffee from the cafeteria was always perfectly brewed. His life was as organized as his files and documents were.

Every single morning, he'd be the first – well, one of the first, since Clawhauser was just as early as he was – to step into ZPD headquarters. He'd find a few cops tired out of their mind, almost falling asleep with every breath they took. He'd relieve them of their shifts, give them a stiff pat on the back with a stern expression, and watch them leave with a proud feeling in his chest for being able to serve alongside Zootopia's finest.

He loved the quiet environment. It was one of the few moments of the day when his blood pressure wasn't pushing the boundaries between healthy and cardiac arrest. The emptiness was calming, and the way the halls echoed his the clopping of his hooves was pure bliss. It made him feel confident and mighty, more so than he usually was, and that was saying something.

One could say that Bogo arrived early _because_ of the serenity. There was some time before the station would become rowdier as civilians began to appear. Clawhauser had always suspected that it was for this reason that Bogo appeared earlier than he needed to (the cheetah merely loved his job and had basically camped there at the counter). There were others who argued that it was because he was Chief and always needed to be around to supervise his underlings. Ultimately, nobody had the courage to ask and it was left to speculation. Later on, it would turn into a betting pool, started by a certain red fox on the force.

Every single day, Bogo would do a complete tour of the HQ. He'd see to that everything was in place, go down to the shooting range to practice, check on the armoury and equipment (rumour has it that he had a secret stash of weapons hidden somewhere, unsurprisingly brought about by said red fox) and then return to his office to go through the reports submitted to him. Oh, and there was a few cups of coffee and/or tea somewhere in that routine, in no particular order.

So with such a perfect and orderly routine that would keep even the most irritable person content, why exactly did ZPD _always_ see Bogo with a scowl on his face?

For starters, walking into a noisy briefing room with 'Zootopia's finest' police officers pranking, arm-wrestling and telling vulgar jokes could really put a damper on one's mood. So much for Zootopia's finest, he'd grumble in his mind. As diligent as they were, his underlings were as bad as schoolchildren when it came to keeping their composure. Officer Hopps, their current newest addition was thankfully a meek one and didn't usually participate in the whirlwind of hyperactive cops.

"Let them be," his ex-boss had said before, "It's good that they have such energy. It's a sign that they have a lot of spirit." Not that he agreed, but there was a certain truth to his old boss's words.

So, the chaotic environment in addition to the fact that there seemed to be suspected organized criminal activity recently.

The buffalo stomped (not literally) into the bullpen, a nickname the ZPD had called the briefing room and stood behind the podium. They stood up and began thumping the tables as soon as he walked in. It was a ritual that Rhinowitz and McHorn had started (it was respectful, they claimed and although he would never say it out loud, he actually liked it) when he first took over. It took him a raised voice to bring about order again. Almost instantly, the noise died down. Bogo held up his clipboard and put on his glasses and began to speak.

"First of all, we have a break-in that needs investigations." The officers in the room sat up eagerly, prompting the Chief to continue. "Wolford, Canis and Sniffer, field work." The wolves stood up and high-fived each other before shuffling out of the briefing room. The rest of the room occupants seemed to deflate slightly.

Bogo cleared his throat again and said, "I'm not done with the lot of you yet. Delgato, Fangmeyer, and Higgins, Golden Fleece Street, SWAT. McHorn and Francine, patrol." He began distributing his officers into small pairs or trios until there were about four left in the room. Judy Hopps was one of them. "The rest of you, paperwork. Dismissed."

Everyone else got up and left the room but Hopps approached the chief tentatively and said, "Sir, I was wondering…"

Bogo took off his glasses and slid them into his breast pocket. He gazed down at the grey-furred rabbit before him. He would never admit it, but he was impressed that Hopps never showed signs of backing down in front of a looming animal ten times her size, despite her timid nature. This was the very same bunny that had single-handedly (technically she had help) solved the missing mammal case with close to no resources under 48 hours, whereas the whole ZPD hadn't even been close to getting a clue. In due time she will receive her promotion, as long as she continues to perform well.

"Yes, Officer Hopps?" he said in his usual gruff tone, although it was a fraction of a bit softer.

The chief realised that Hopps was holding a folded piece of paper in her paw. She hesitantly lifted it but lowered her arm. Bogo raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, he extended an open hoof, a silent invitation that Judy accepted. The bunny flinched as he opened the folded paper to read its contents.

It was a ZPD employment application form. The buffalo chuckled deeply. "And I thought you were handing in your resignation form, _again._ " Judy blushed at the reference to the first time she quit and rubbed her arm, not looking at her superior.

"No, Sir. I was thinking, I have a friend who helped me on the missing mammal case. He has a lot of potential and a keen mind. So I thought that I would…"

Bogo was barely listening. He caught words such as 'loyal', 'helpful', 'job' and 'dream' but he mostly tuned it out. He was more invested in reading the details of the form. The applicant was a male citizen named Nicholas Wilde, with a middle initial P, whatever that stood for. A tingling at the back of his mind sensed that he had seen the name before. The next detail was that he was a predator. Fair enough, Bogo thought. He frowned slightly when he saw the height and weight. 4 feet and 80 pounds was not even half of Silverfur, the smallest wolf on the force. His sights rested on the word 'fox' and he narrowed his eyes. Memories of an impudent, defiant, red-furred mammal in a green shirt surfaced. He vaguely recalled seeing the name on some reports he received a long time ago. He lowered the paper and snorted.

"No."

Officer Hopps stopped her rambling abruptly. Her ears drooped. "Sir?"

Bogo glowered down at the bunny. "I will not be letting a fox into my police department and that's that, especially not _him._ I've seen his records before, this animal was reported for scamming and petty theft though he always came clear for some reason. I do _not_ want him in the ZPD."

Judy objected, "He was to be cleared of all charges and his records are to be wiped, that's what Mayor Snapper promised. Nick's a changed animal now, a good citizen. He will make a good cop, I promise!" After a moment, she added defiantly, "If a bunny can make it, then so can a fox."

The chief's temper flared. Was there no limits to the bunny's insubordination? He bent down and raised a hoof finger. "Don't push it, Hopps. You may have had a moment of glory but I am still your commanding superior. Must I remind you that you were given a chance only because our former Mayor Lionheart had _insisted_ that you be put on the force, against my better judgment," he ranted agitatedly as he began pacing, throwing his arms into the air. "The ZPD used to present an image of strength and intimidation, superiority. We had lions, tigers, elephants, wolves, rhinos! We were the authorities, the hardened keepers of the law. Then Lionheart (curse that idiot) wanted a _bunny_ of all animals to be added? All because he wanted diversity," he used air quotes, "and equality. I told him that bunnies were not built to be police officers, but did he listen? Bah, if it wasn't for his politics you wouldn't have been accepted at all, top of the class or not."

The commanding officer had never shared this story with anyone. All his frustration from the mayor's stubbornness had burst through the floodgates. It felt good to finally chuck the boulder of pressure that had been weighing him down. He paused to look at his underling. Her ears were flattened behind her head, her lips quibbled and her nose was twitching rapidly. Bogo knew from observing that the bunny was on the verge of tears and he felt a mild twinge of regret. He had basically told her that she would have rejected regardless, if it weren't for intervention from the higher ups.

She must be feeling helpless, knowing that it wasn't her efforts that got her into the ZPD, Bogo thought. Knowing that one was the result of tokenism would shake anyone to the core.

"Please, Sir. Couldn't you give him a chance?" she begged.

A chance. Oh yes, he could. But why should he? On what account did this Wilde person deserve a chance? Bogo glared at Hopps. His rational side reminded him that had he not given the officer the opportunity to prove herself, she would have been stuck in parking duty forever and the missing mammal would have never been solved.

Then again, would Bogo have given her an opening to shine if Bellwether hadn't manipulated him into giving Hopps the case? Damn those politicians, he cursed. He admitted silently that he probably wouldn't have, and the ZPD would have been denied one of its finest officers.

" _Look, you gave her a clown vest and a three-wheeled joke-mobile and two days to solve a case you guys haven't cracked in two weeks? No wonder she had to get help from a fox. It wasn't as if you guys were going to help her."_

If it wasn't for that slick imbecile pointing it out, Bogo too wouldn't have seen the unfairness in the 'chance' he gave the new officer in his blinded disdain and in a literal context, bullheadedness.

"I'll just get on with the paperwork, sir. Good day." Seeing that she wasn't getting any positive response, Judy trod towards the door slowly, thinking with a heavy heart about how she had to bring this up to Nick.

Bogo watched her go, head hanging down. He glanced at the paper in his hands again. He sighed and made a decision.

"Hold it right there, Hopps," he said. Judy had reached the door and had a paw on it. She turned back to look at her boss. "'It's not what you want, it's what you're capable of.' Do you remember who said it?"

Judy Hopps nodded slowly. "It was you, Sir," she replied.

"Then I believe this _Nicholas Wilde_ will have to prove that he is indeed capable by surviving the Zootopia Police Academy."

The rabbit's ears began to rise slowly. "Sir, does that mean—"

Chief Bogo interrupted her. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't get your hopes up. Your career is at stake here. If he doesn't graduate with First Class Honours, it's eternal parking duty for you. So you better hope your _foxy_ _friend_ works hard. Understood?" He finished with a slight curl at the edge of his mouth.

Hopps' ears went erect and she broke into a grin. She stood straight and said, "Yes, Sir. I'll make sure of that."

Bogo grunted. "Now don't you have work to do? I am not paying you overtime if you don't finish those papers by today."

"Yes, Sir! Thank you very much, Sir! Good day to you," she opened the door and sped off, leaving it ajar. Seconds later she returned to close it, grinning sheepishly.

Chief Bogo rolled his eyes. He gathered his stuff and proceeded to his office. Inside, he put the form on his desk and sat down heavily on his armchair, finally getting to relax. He glanced at the framed newspaper cuttings on his wall. It was recent and sported a picture of him, Hopps and Mr Snapper, the new Mayor of Zootopia. Judy was being awarded a medal of honour for saving the city and solving the mystery that had haunted Zootopia for weeks. The bunny smiled widely at the camera whereas he himself stood towering next to her, also receiving credit for his officer's achievement.

She couldn't have done it without Nick, he mused. That fox was crucial to her success and the returned peace in Zootopia.

The chief generally detested foxes. Heck, almost every citizen despised foxes. They were untrustworthy, sly, smooth-talkers who should be avoided at all costs. Despite agreeing to accept a fox's application to become a police officer, he knew deep down that he wasn't ready to accept more changes to the ZPD.

 _Change, huh?_

Bogo wasn't one to be open to change. Things were established for a reason. There was an unspoken rule that everyone should know. Everyone had their place in society, and life wasn't as easy as a cartoon musical where everyone sang songs and their insipid dreams magically came through. Like how Bogo was born to be a leader and a police chief. Like how the ZPD was supposed to consist only of tough, heavyweight mammals.

Yet against all odds, a bunny rabbit had exceeded expectations, defied the status quo, and become the first rabbit officer to ever exist. She wasn't technically the first rabbit to work with the police though… but that was another story.

Judy Hopps was the first big change, willing or not, that was made. Zootopia was gradually changing, and Chief Bogo could see that. However, a fox on the other hand…

The chief grunted. If he could tolerate a bunny, he would have to learn to do so for a fox. He was actually astounded that Hopps would be so determined to have a fox of all animals, whose species were natural enemies, join her as a colleague. She was truly different from the rest, there was no doubt of it.

Looking again at the application form, his eyes trailed to the bottom of the page where there was a question whether Wilde had ever been arrested. The tick in the box next to the option 'yes' had been hastily scratched off. The other tick box was marked with a larger and darker tick, as if to emphasize it.

He thought about the conversation he just had. That bunny had been more concerned about her friend's job application than the knowledge of being a token bunny, which he suspected that she knew way earlier. Perhaps there was something in this fox that she saw. Perhaps there is more to this Nicholas Wilde than meets the eye. Nevertheless, it was ironic and to a point, inspiring, how much times and predator-prey relationships had changed.

 _A bunny recruiting a fox into the force? I think I have seen it all now._

The chief snorted and pulled out the phone. All of that could come later. There was some Gazelle gossip to catch up on.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _EDIT 2/8/2017 - I am deeply sorry for the lack of updates and the surge of new shipping fanfiction on this site must be more exciting as opposed to my stuff. I really love this story and I have plans for it but… time is not my friend and I still have 3 Digimon fanfics to deal with at the moment._

 _I occasionally receive emails that I've gained new followers for this story and although I'm not writing really often, I appreciate that despite all the fluffy shipfics out there some people still pay attention to my work. I am eternally grateful :')_

 _Once again, thank you for reading and please leave a review, it really brightens my day to know that people are enjoying my work._


	5. Chapter 5: Not a Morning Animal

_A/N: Mild language in this chaper_

* * *

Chapter 5: Not a Morning Animal

"Wake up!"

The door to Nick's room slammed open and in marched Judy, wearing an orange and black tracksuit. Nick's room was also his study, much like Judy's. On her left was an office desk with several textbooks that belonged to her, loaned to her friend for later use. A worn world map was sandwiched between the wooden surface of the table and the glass plane that lay atop. The window above the desk was open and cool air flowed into the room, gently lifting the curtains. Nick's stationery was kept neatly in a purple cup, placed at the top right corner of the furniture next to a photo of himself and… _was that a vixen?_ Subconsciously, the bunny averted her gaze. As far as she knew, Nick was single and she wasn't interested in knowing who Nick had dated before, but she wondered why her friend would keep such a photo. Probably to remind himself of the good times.

 _Or to remind himself not to make such a mistake again,_ the cynical part of her that had begun to develop under Nick's influence snickered. Judy told it to shut up.

She stomped across the room to the other end where a wooden bed stood. On it slept Nick, lying on his abdomen with his right arm dangling off the edge. The sheets were light blue with brown and white checkers, complete with a matching set of pillows, bolster, and covers. The blanket covered most the fox's body and tail, with the exception of his right arm. Nick groaned, irritated by the sudden, unexpected intrusion of his peaceful slumber and his exposed right arm groped blindly on the nightstand. There were several objects on it, including a phone, a lamp, a small half-drank bottle of water and a digital alarm clock. He turned the clock towards himself and let his hand go limp.

"Nick, I said wake up!" Judy said as she stood before the blanketed silhouette, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently in a rapid rhythm. The silhouette moved and Nick's annoyed reply came, muffled by the fabric over his head.

"Are you crazy? It's six thirty in the morning. Wake me up in another… three hours…" The words trailed off, followed by a nasal snore.

Judy yanked the covers off Nick, revealing his almost nude body. The fox slept without anything on except a pair of white boxers. His fur was ruffled, sticking out in various directions.

"Nick, get up. The Academy won't let you sleep until nine so we have approximately two months to correct that sleeping pattern of yours. Now get up and come for a morning jog with me," Judy insisted, prodding her friend's side. A dark brown paw swatted her away and groped blindly for the missing blanket. When he couldn't find it, Nick curled into a foetal position instead, swishing his bushy tail around to cover his snout. Judy thought he looked adorable sleeping like that but she wasn't going to leave him alone until he dragged his lazy carcass out of bed.

Judy threw her head back in exasperation. When she glanced to her right, she spotted a bookshelf of three layers adjacent to a medium-sized wardrobe that stood about twice her height. The top layer of the bookshelf was riddled with novels and fiction. Judy spotted some of her favourites, 'Porkahontas' and 'Treasure Planet'. The middle one was for non-fiction and his old college books whereas the bottom layer had doors, storing what Judy knew was Nick's important documents. She had to admit, Nick really had a thing for being organised. He _was_ an ex-con artist that had everything covered after all.

"Quit wasting my time, Wilde. You're coming for this jog, like it or not," she nudged her sleeping friend. Nick responded by covering his head with his pillow, followed by a noncommittal grunt and something that sounded suspiciously like "go make a baby".

Judy's froze, her ears shooting up and they flattened against her head just as quickly as she scowled at the insult. She had expected this to happen, although she had hoped otherwise. She'd rather not resort to _that method_ , but desperate times called for desperate measures. She spun on her heels and stalked out of the door.

Sensing that he was alone in the room, Nick slackened his muscles. He knew he had somewhat offended the rabbit in his woozy state of mind, but the lull of sleep was too strong for him to hold on to the thought. _I'll apologize later,_ he thought sleepily and sank back to slumber. He felt his conscious slip away, finally getting peace and quiet.

Almost.

"FWHOOOOOOOOOONK!"

The abhorrent sound of a blaring air horn filled the room, shattering the serene morning silence. Nick jumped out of bed, flailing in shock, and he tumbled onto the floor, making a loud thud as his body hit the parquet. His mangy fur standing on ends in fright, looking messier than before. He hugged his bolster tightly and lay on the floor, trembling and respiring heavily. He looked up and found an unimpressed Judy glaring down at him, holding a pink Fox Away Deterrent in her paw. A cacophony of shouts and complaints came from the neighbours.

"What in the name of Jesus Capybara was that?"

"I'm trying to get some sleep here!"

"Who the father mother brother sister blows an air horn so early in the morning?"

"Nick, you son of a—"

The last statement was shut out as Judy slammed the windows shut, muffling whatever Nick's furious neighbours were hurling at them. The fox had gotten up and was sitting on his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Was that really necessary?" he protested drowsily. His vision was beginning to clear but his body still felt like a ton of bricks.

Judy shrugged. "That's what you get for telling me to go make a baby. Now get moving and go take a shower. You smell like my brothers after playing in the mud."

* * *

It wasn't long before Nick sat drowsily at the dining table, feeling rather incapacitated mentally as he struggled not to flop onto the table and resume his much-needed rest. His fur was damp from his bath. After his less than gentle wake-up call courtesy of Judy, he had taken a simple shower to rid himself of the thick musk that covered his body. The water had revitalized him temporarily, but now the rejuvenating effects were wearing off and he needed food and caffeine to give him another kick start.

He glumly looked around his apartment kitchen, his eyes passing over the built-in cabinets on the walls. If he opened them, he would find mugs, plates, Tupperware and cookware, including a juicer, a blender, pans and pots of all sizes, utensils and more, all stored away according to their categories. In other words, it was everything he had inherited from his mother.

Cooking was not a habit of his. Nick only knew how to fry omelettes, cook instant noodles and use the oven. After a near disastrous session with Finnick, the older fox had given up trying to teach Nick the basics of cookery, declaring that either the fennec would cook or they would order out. Judy however, was overjoyed at the fact that Nick had a fully equipped pantry for her to work with. Living in a rented room hadn't exactly allowed her to make meals for herself, so she was more than glad to drop by after her shift ended to cook for the both of them. She had practically dusted off everything and made herself at home. The meal was, of course, vegetarian but Nick didn't mind. It saved him some dinner money and he could have his lunch at Bugburga's.

He could hear Judy humming in the restroom as the oven at the counter ticked rhythmically, the time counting down as his breakfast spun on the plate in the machine, absorbing the microwaves that expelled the chill from the refrigerated pie. The digital clock reached zero and the oven gave a loud **ding.**

Smiling, Nick walked over and opened the oven door, almost forgetting to put on baking gloves as he reached in and brought out the steaming hot slice of jam stuffed delicacy. The coffee was still boiling, so he left the pie on the table and poured himself a glass of water.

 _Mom always said to drink a huge glass of water after waking up to avoid dehydration,_ he thought. He was indeed very thirsty from zero water intake during sleep. He raised the glass and sipped it slowly, before greedily pouring the refreshing liquid down his gullet in gulps. His thirst quenched, he returned to the table and sat down, ready to dig in.

The pie was from Gideon Grey's bakery. Judy had introduced Nick to her former bully and the two foxes had quickly formed a budding friendship. The joint partnership between Gideon and the Hopps farm meant the jam in the pies were made from the freshest produce Stu Hopps could offer, and Gideon's quality baking skills had made the business bloom so quickly that he had even opened a branch in the city, catering for the citizens of Zootopia.

Gideon's inventory had even expanded to include more than just Blueberry pies. Now he had a dozen different jams made from all kinds of fruits. There was even an experimental Grass-flavoured jam tart that unsurprisingly became an instant favourite among his goat customers.

The plump fox had told Judy one day that the money he got would be used to pay for his college degree in culinary arts so that he would be able to fully live his dream to be a famous baker one day. Nick was his loyal customer as well, and Gideon always saved one last pie for him every Sunday evening even though the demand for blueberry flavoured pastries was so high in sale volume that he had to double the production to barely meet the demand.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get his taste of the pie yet. Suddenly, a grey blur swiped plate of reheated leftover pastry from under his nose, leaving him staring dumbly at the empty spot where the disappeared plate had been.

"Nope, none of that for you." Nick hadn't noticed Judy's return, and there she stood next to the table with a huge bowl of cereal with a spoon in one hand and his stolen pie in the other. She pushed the bowl over to him and placed the pie on the far side of the table. She then opened the fridge, eyes darting as she scanned for what she wanted. She found butter, eggs, fruits and vegetables, a can of pickles, and cold sandwiches to name a few. Homing in on her targets, she pulled out two small cartons of milk.

"Blueberry flavoured milk," she read off the box. It was a cartoonish red fox, backed by a berry farm and holding up a paw full of the blue produce, looking up at her with a toothy grin. "And I thought bunnies were obsessed with carrots. Do you foxes really love berries that much?"

Nick shrugged tiredly and pushed the bowl of cereal away. "It's good. Now can I have my pie back?"

"Nope. Blueberry or Vanilla?"

"Pie. Now." Nick's tone was weary, but the edge to his voice was growing sharper. He was sleepy and hungry, two conditions that would result in something unpleasant if Judy didn't give him his breakfast.

The rabbit in question shook her head with vigour. She pointed to the bowl and recited, "You are going to eat that, Nick. It has everything you need to keep fit. Carbohydrates, fibre, protein, and calcium. Besides, don't foxes love berries?"

"That's _blue_ berries only, fluff, not all kinds of berries."

"Well then, blueberry milk it is." Judy popped open the cap and poured the blue milk into the bowl. Nick watched in apprehension as the bowl of dry cereal turned into a flood with floating bits in it. He looked up at Judy.

"I'm not eating this."

Judy frowned and placed her paws on her hips. "Yes you are," she replied firmly.

"Can I at least have my coffee first?" he pointed out.

Judy's turned towards the counter where the coffee pot sat. She grabbed her mug and Nick's and poured the dark brown fluid into them. Her nose caught the fragrant scent, as her sensitive ears shot up to the sound of a contented purr. She shot around to find Nick holding a bitten pie in his paw as he chewed, savouring the scrumptious jam and relishing the bite of the crispy crust in his mouth. The taste was heavenly, even though it was a day old. His lips were smeared with the bluish, but he didn't care in his jovial state. He licked his chops and stuffed the rest of the confection into his mouth.

"Hey," Judy protested, but it was a futile gesture. The pie had completely disappeared down Nick's gullet faster than she could react. Rolling her eyes and exhaling in frustration, she set the mugs down on the table and got on her chair, facing her vulpine friend directly.

"Well, you had better get used to not having that in the Academy. Seriously, it's not healthy to eat those all the time. There's a lot of fat, sugar, and carbs in it."

Nick chuckled. "Don't worry, carrots. I ain't getting fat anytime soon," he remarked and patted his stomach. It was the truth. Nick had a small appetite, and his physique was relatively skinny. Gideon had joked about fattening him up with his pies but he had somehow retained his lanky appearance despite having pie almost every week. "Besides, there's always the weekends and Gideon does deliveries."

He took a sip of his hot coffee and sighed in satisfaction. "Good thing I'm not a canine. They don't do so well with this stuff. I had a friend who got hospitalised after taking a small sip."

"There's always decaf…" Judy suggested. That was what the wolves on the force drank, as far as she knew.

Nick gave her a snort. "That's like drinking watered down juice or eating pie without the stuffing. It's pointless and it's not the real thing."

Judy's lip curled and she said, "I'll tell you what the real thing is. That." Her outstretched arm was pointed at the unattended bowl of cereal. Nick pulled it over and slowly scooped a spoonful of its contents up to eye level. He watched as blue milk dripped from the pool at the centre of the curvature into the bowl below and lowered the spoon.

"I said I'm not going to eat that, carrots, and you can't make me. I have never liked cereal and I don't think I ever will." Cereal was more of… Rena's thing. Nick had never understood how his parents and sister could enjoy the bits of flour floating around in milk, turning soft and gooey after a while. He had tried it once, but the taste never fit well with him.

Judy merely pursed her lips and got out of her seat. She hauled the chair towards the cabinets and opened them. She pulled out a familiar looking plastic container, one that Nick had seen once before but hadn't paid much attention to. She brought it to the table and opened the cylindrical Tupperware, revealing the fresh contents inside. It was a mixture of dried banana slices, dried berries, raisins, beans and bran, crunchy rice cracker bits and much more.

"This isn't just any normal cereal you find in the supermarket. This is my family's personal creation, my dad came up with it. My entire family loves it," Judy explained. Saying that her family ate it was a bit of an understatement. It was a breakfast favourite and there was simply never enough to feed all of her siblings so breakfast could very well turn into World War F, with F standing for Food. If her mother, Bonnie hadn't made sure everyone got exactly their small share every morning, the Hopps home in the Burrows turned into a battlefield.

The Hopps family was indeed very health conscious. Her own grandpa Maxwell was so paranoid about the 'treacherous chemicals they put in processed food nowadays' that he refused to eat anything else that wasn't grown on the farm. The Hopps Secret Family Cereal was Stu's best idea, carefully formulated so that it was encompassed of as much daily essential nutrients as possible. "A healthy breakfast is the best breakfast," she quotes her father. "Trust me, it's really nice."

Nick stirred the milk in the bowl idly, reluctant to give it a try. Judy drummed her fingers on the table and proposed, "Alright then, here's the deal. Try it, and if you think it's bad, then I'll stop pushing you."

"But," she emphasized, for there was a catch, "if you think otherwise, then it's an extra lap later for you. Agreed?"

Nick paused, then he smirked. "This should be easy," he said, with the full intention of proving himself right. There was no way this bowl of yuck could taste any good. Judy had sounded very convincing but this was going to be an easy win for him. The sly confidence, probably just a bluff to shake him up.

He scooped a spoonful into his mouth, bracing for the revolting taste that he remembered oh so well from his first time. What he got was a mixture of sweetness, mild berry sourness, and crunchiness perfectly mixed together in an explosion of flavour that pleased his taste receptors to no end. He chewed and swallowed, before glancing up at Judy, whose smile was growing wider and wider by the second.

Nick closed his eyes in defeat and ate another spoonful.

* * *

His legs were screaming in protest. His chest felt like it was about to explode. The left side of his diaphragm contracted so painfully he thought his stomach was having a seizure. His tongue felt incredibly dry and his throat was parched. His light blue sports jersey, unworn since college but surprisingly still fitting was drenched in sweat. Beads of perspiration rolled down his fur, pooling at ends and dripping onto the warm pavement below.

The morning air was chilly, and there wasn't as much traffic yet. Every time a car passed by, the sound of tyres on asphalt and the low hum of engines would follow, and they went as quickly as they came. Several early morning joggers in their jog suits trotted round the edge of the lake, a lonely leopard sat on the banks, a fishing pole planted in the ground with the reel in the water. For a city that was almost never peaceful and quiet, the serene atmosphere was a welcome one. _I could get used to this,_ Nick thought, alongside a barrage of _ow, my legs!_

This was his final lap around the Lake of Erebus, a body of water about an acre wide in the middle of Zootopia Central Park, the largest recreational hotspot in the city. It was one of the few remnants of the past that remained completely unharmed by the expansive construction around it. To the north of Central Park was Zootopia University, an academic institution renowned for producing influential political candidates as well as the leading scientists in the metropolis.

As Nick stumbled forward in his 'jog', he passed by the magnificent Greek Pillars that held the roof of the main building fifty feet high up above him. His eyes passed over the finely carved words engraved in marble over the entrance. 'Knowledge is power' they read.

"On your left!" For the fifth time that morning, a familiar female voice came from his side as he saw a grey thing streak past him. Nick cried out in frustration and put on a burst of speed, trying to catch up with the rapidly shrinking figure. His protesting muscles promptly responded by ceasing to function and his legs gave way underneath him. He collapsed and lay there for a while, letting his breath return.

An old stag clopped past slowly, muttering, "Young mammals nowadays… Always with their gadgets and no exercise… Stamina non-existent…"

Nick huffed and slowly, feeling returned to his limbs. He rose to his feet, trotting over to the starting point. He passed by a tiger who sat cross-legged on one of the benches provided, reading a newspaper. The headlines read 'Yakistan to declare ceasefire', beneath the bolded text was a picture of a fat Yak wearing a turban and shaking hooves (or talons) with a tall _Megalania Prisca_ in an Armani suit, whom Nick recognised as Lord Lanius of the United Reptilian Kingdom.

As the morning grew older, more and more citizens visited the central park. Corporate animals in working clothes filled the streets, carrying briefcases and sipping their hot drinks or bending their heads down to look at their phones, Traffic also got busier, and the previously empty roads now had more cars cruising down them. The usual honking noises of impatient drivers began to spread across the city centre. It was the start of yet another day in the great city of Zootopia.

Not long thereafter, Nick was back to where he and Judy had started out. He found the bunny on her phone as she rested under the cooling shades of the giant Birch tree. Hearing the sound off foot pads treading the soft green grass towards her, her upright ears twisted in his direction and she looked up.

"Took you long enough," she said with a grin. Nick responded by flopping down on the lawn next to her and closed his eyes.

"Oh come on, one extra lap didn't kill you, did it?"

"Carrots, you woke me, a supposedly _nocturnal_ animal, up at _six thirty in the morning_ and _dragged me_ for a jog. I'm not dead, but I will be soon. Goodbye, cruel world. The headlines tomorrow will say 'Fox dies of exhaustion due to overexcited bunny'," he moaned, placing an arm over his eyes.

Judy nudged her friend with her water bottle, which he accepted gratefully. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You should take theatre, with your charm and all," she teased as Nick sat up and drank heartily from the purple tumbler.

Wiping his mouth, Nick bared his sharp teeth and crouched on all fours. "Like this? Keeping his eyes trained on his unsuspecting prey, the fox circled in the bushes, careful to keep himself downwind. Sensing the perfect opportunity," he recited, leg muscles tensing, "he pounced onto the rabbit!"

With a loud growl, he leapt forward straight at Judy, wrapping her in his arms as they tumbled across the grass. The bunny squealed and laughed uncontrollably in excitement. They rolled and came up in a position with Nick splayed on his back with Judy on his stomach. To add effect, she yelled, "Blood, blood, blood," throwing her paws out to imitate a fountain of red liquid spewing from her torso, and then she slumped onto the fox's chest. "And death," she finished, sticking out her tongue.

The duo howled with mirth, both reliving the fond memory of their little trap to coerce Bellwether into revealing the truth about her evil plan. The laughter slowly turned into giggles, then it subsided. Judy positioned herself upright, pressing onto Nick's chest for support. The fox looked up at her as she gazed back into his emerald eyes.

 _She looks so pretty,_ he thought. Her fur was just the perfect shade of grey and her dazzling violet eyes complemented her silvery fur. Although she was a tad sweaty, she smelled like barley and cinnamon. Their snouts were rather close and he could feel her warm breath. He raised a paw to cup her cheek.

They remained in this mesmerised state until the moment was ruined by the snap of a phone camera. Nick and Judy looked to their left and saw a hippo holding his phone, staring slack-jawed at them. A moose couple had similar expressions on their faces as they halted their trek to look at the unusual sight. A black panther walked past them with a curious look but didn't say anything. Several other mammals were the same as well, giving the duo a mixture of looks that included shock, disgust, surprise, confusion and curiosity.

Realising the intimate position they had ended up in, Judy hurriedly got to their feet and dusted herself off. "Oh, it's nothing, we were just…" she began, struggling to find the correct word to use.

"Talking! Yes, we were just talking and then we had some… fun! Then we, um… kind of rolled around on the grass, because this is… practice for a play. That's what it is, practise!" she tried to explain to the onlookers. The mammals didn't look like they bought the story.

Nick chuckled and stood up. He placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. He addressed the crowd, "You heard the lady. It was all scripted, there's nothing more to see. Go on and do whatever, see ya."

The animals dispersed, but most of them looked rather unsatisfied by the answer they had gotten. Turning to his companion, Nick said, "Maybe you should be the one to take drama classes. You aren't convincing anyone with your acting."

"Har har, very funny. Maybe you should take politics since you're such a good liar.

And they continued their friendly banter all the way back to Nick's apartment. As he watched an energetic Judy skip cheerfully ahead of him, the fox couldn't help but get infected by the positivity his ever-optimistic friend was emitting in waves.

Perhaps morning jogs weren't so bad after all.

* * *

 _A/N: Updating once every month or two? I really am a slow writer. I am considering another method, which is posting short chapters around 500-1k words but I'll be able to update more frequently, like once a week or once a fortnight. But I think that is really too short._

 _Anyway, a few important notes._

 _1\. King Lanius is rather short for his species. Megalania is a real specimen, the cousin of the Kodomo Dragon is actually quite humongous. This species is prehistoric and definitely ate humans, but there are sightings in Australia Outback._

 _2\. I decided to create several kingdoms of my own such as the United Reptilian Kingdom (something like the UK but mainly reptiles), the Avian nomads of the North, and the Eastern Empire (which is basically Asia but under a single flag)._

 _3\. Although this story takes place after the movie, there are many irreversible differences that deviate from canon because I started writing before the movie was released. That's why there are crocodiles, reptiles, birds and all sorts of things not in the movie. I don't plan to deconstruct all of that so that this story can be considered canon._

 _4\. This story is open to submissions for Original Characters and creative additions, especially the different parts of the animal kingdom._

 _I thought it was time for a change from the angst in the previous chapters so this one is fluffy and light-hearted._

 _Also, I am the current Beta Reader of J Shute Norway's story, Zootopia: the Original Plot. Be sure to check it out. It's a good read, and I learned quite a bit from him. Go check it out if you haven't already._

 _As always, please tell me what you think of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Cheers and peace out._

 _Next, on The Reason for Being Me, Finnick has to deal with Nick becoming a cop and Judy wants to take Nick to the burrows for a visit. See you all next time._


	6. Chapter 6: Running Out of Cash

_A/N: To the dear Anonymous Guest who was so shocked and worked up that I was a Wildehopps shipper, ROFLMFAO yes I am. I ship them both in two separate forms, one as a canon couple and the other as pair of platonic friends who are super important to each other to the point that they can literally considered a couple although they are not. Will they be a thing in this story? Who knows, time will tell. I didn't explicitly state that they are already a thing, and my story genre is still Friendship/General and not Romance/Friendship._

 _I will admit that they are so perfect together, couple or not. I may yet decide to keep this fic completely platonic and write a romance sequel, or something else woefully. That's for me to know and you to find out._

 _By the way, this is a Finnick-centric chapter. Cheers._

* * *

Chapter 6: Running Out of Cash

Finnick was running out of cash. For the umpteenth time in his life, he was running out of cash.

To the average mammal, this may sound normal, as the lack of money merely posed the question of how well one handled the delicate balance between wages and expenses. But Zootopia was in no way close to sinking into economic depression, and because living in the city where mild miscalculations in expenditure could result in no savings for the remainder of the month, most of the citizens had since the flourish of the metropolis developed a crucial survival skill: monetary management. Hence, the all-time moan of 'running out of cash' was so rarely heard coming out from the muzzle of a citizen with an honest job and solid salary.

The downside for the fennec fox, however, was that he didn't have an honest job, and his salary was in no way stable.

It was an open secret that foxes did not fare well in the employment sector, due to the blindly accepted, old age stereotype that depicted them untrustworthy, sly, untrustworthy, likely to be thieves and con-mammals, and most importantly… they were untrustworthy. That meant application for job vacancies seldom bore the fruits of success and even if the position was secured, promotions were almost impossible to procure (unless you were in the good books of a wealthy person of power or your physical value was any… desirable). As a consequence, _Vulpes vulpes_ were considered to be one of the lower class residents of Zootopia, mainly because they were poor and society liked it that way.

Finnick had realised ever since he was a kit that the world would always impede the progression of foxes. His own father, bless his resting soul, had constantly reminded him throughout his childhood that no one else could be trusted, not even a fellow fox. It was drilled into him so often that he sometimes even wondered if his own father could be trusted.

Mama, on the other hand, said that Finnick had to open up to make friends. _You can't be as paranoid as your father is_ , she had said, _he sees backstabbers and traitors everywhere he turns. At this rate, he'll probably end up with a heart attack._ Ironically, his father really did pass away from cardiac arrest when Finnick was twelve, like his Finnick's own grandfather before him, and his grandfather's father before him. Given the family history of failing hearts, the latest descendant in that line had decided to break the curse of being predisposed towards that particular disease, which is the reason why Finnick had quite a lot of emotional control under the grouchy exterior.

Now that he was older, he had to agree and disagree with that philosophy. Papa had been right about not trusting anyone in a sense that not a single soul on earth deserved full undoubted trust, but Finnick reserved a soft spot for a certain red fox that he knew he could count on if his life depended on it.

Nick was his best friend of the same age since grade school, someone who saw past his seemingly permanent scowl and drew him out from his shell. He was there when Finnick sat sulking alone on the swing. He was there when Finnick was made fun for his appearance. He was the one who willingly paired up with Finnick when he couldn't find a partner for his schoolwork. Though to be honest, Finnick never really cared about finding a partner. He would have done the work alone, either way, it was just Nick that automatically came over and voluntarily proclaimed to be his partner.

Finnick had asked why Nick always imposed his company even though the fennec had made it clear he didn't want or need it. The answer he got was simple.

"Foxes have to stick together. If we don't help each other, no one will."

They were seven at the time, but Finnick saw an emptiness and longing in the eyes of the red fox. It became apparent that Nick didn't approach him because he thought Finnick was lonely, he had done so because he himself needed a companion. From that moment onwards, the big-eared fox kit decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and officially be friends. It was the best decision he had ever made.

Finnick then realised that he actually enjoyed Nick's presence. Nicholas was a bubbly, optimistic child that always managed to lighten his mood (which was saying a lot, seeing that the fennec was almost never not scowling).

"Come on, Fin. You'll become old looking really fast if you keep looking like that. Here's a banana," Nick said, holding up the yellow fruit that he had plucked out of nowhere. It was so random and out of context that Finnick's eye began to twitch uncontrollably and mirth began to expand in his chest until he burst out laughing. Nick was so full of moments like these that even the worse of Finnick's temper could get reduced to a friendly smack on the shoulder, a grudging smile and an "I hate you" with no malice at all.

Nick always aspired to be a Junior Ranger, telling dreams of adventure and excitement to the only other mammal in the world who would listen and tied his red handkerchief around his neck proudly like a scarf. So when he told Finnick that he was going to join the Junior Rangers, the other fox felt happy for him.

Things, however, went wrong after that. The few days after the supposed initiation ceremony, Nick stopped turning up at their usual spot. Finnick had found him hiding in the quieter part of the school, crying his heart out. Startled to see his best pal in such a manner, he quickly ran over to ask what's wrong. The kit looked at him with bloodshot eyes and Finnick saw a spark of anger and hatred in those eyes when Nick had said those words. It wasn't directed towards him, but it was enough to give away that the young red fox kit had experienced something very unpleasant.

"Am I a bad fox? They… they told me they wouldn't trust me without a muzzle," Nick said between hiccups and tears. Finnick immediately knew who he was referring to as _they_ and it made him furious, angrier than he had ever been. Pulling his friend into a tight embrace, he comforted the red fox with pats on the shoulder.

"There, there… you're not a bad fox, Nick. You are the best mammal one could ever meet, and those who say different are just too stupid to see that," he assured the crying kit and he held him close until the sobs slowly faded into shaky breaths.

"Thank you, Fin."

The fennec smiled. "Foxes have to stick together. If we don't help each other, who will?" he echoed the words that were said to him two years ago, eliciting a small laugh from Nick. It was a moment that had brought them closer than ever.

After that, Finnick witnessed a change in his friend and saw how he never reacted visibly when angered or saddened. It saddened him to see Nick that way, but he was just glad that he had his friend back. Nick no longer wanted to be a Junior Ranger, although he still kept his red scarf as a memento till today. He instead wanted to be like Robin Hood, play-acting with glory and dignity. One day when they were eleven, Finnick asked Nick, "Have you ever thought about actually _being_ Robin Hood? You know, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor?

Nick had frowned and replied, "I don't really like stealing. It's bad practice."

"Even from those who don't deserve it?" The kit had no response to that, conflicted about the action.

Then the year after brought another tragedy to Finnick's family. At the age of fifty, his father died from a heart attack and his mother had left with a winter fox (Finnick knew that it was the divorce that caused the former's demise). The expired fennec's will had resulted in Finnick getting all his father's possessions (which were just some savings, belongings, and a van; the house they lived in was rented). Without a legal guardian and not wanting to be taken to the orphanage, Nick's parents stepped in and appealed for custody of Finnick, miraculously succeeding in the end. It wasn't easy, sharing the small hut, especially with the addition of a newborn kit later on.

Not wanting to burden the Wilde family as another mouth for them to feed and sick of being poor, Finnick resolved to take matters into his whole hands. "How would you like to make some fast cash?" he asked Nick.

And that was the start of their scamming career. To Finnick's chagrin, Nick was adamant about their targets, and he was even generous to their classmates who were in need. Happytown wasn't exactly the hotspot for wealthy fellows so their radar remained empty most of the time. It was frustrating dealing with Nick's choosiness, and there came a point when Finnick could no longer tolerate it.

"We can't go on like this, Wilde! We can't just go around picking on rich kids because you want to act like your idol, who happens to be a _fictional character_!" he had screamed. After seeing the disappointed and hurt look on Nick's face, he calmed down and rubbed his own with his paws.

"Look, Nick, I understand that Robin Hood means a lot to you, but you have to put it aside if you're want to make a living. These folks out here don't give a crap about us, you know that. Your parents are working their tails off just to make sure we don't go hungry, and I want to make sure we have something to bite just in case something anything goes wrong, and seeing how bad luck prone we are, it could be anytime. So are you with me or not, seriously?"

Nick took a while to consider before he nodded reluctantly. "Alright, but if we're going to do this, we shouldn't do it in Happytown."

It seemed that fate had again intervened because John Wilde finally got that break that he needed, and the Wilde family, along with Finnick and a baby Rena moved from Happytown to Downtown. They bought a decent apartment with a few rooms, and comfort was finally something that the foxes could have a taste of. As for the two adolescent foxes, they spent their afternoons after school scheming and thinking of ways that they could get themselves some savings, before actually running around the neighbourhood and sometimes even all over Zootopia, carrying out their illegal business (which mostly involved exploiting Finnick's cuteness factor). Things from fake charities, false lottery, rigged gambling, fortune telling… If one could name it, they would have had already tried it. Well, those within their means anyway, but most of the time they were hustling.

Years went by and the partners in small time crime managed to accumulate a reasonable amount of money, carefully stashed away where Nick's parents would never find them. They kept their activities a secret, but it was rewarding to see that they had enough to last them at least a few months should disaster strike. They carried on doing this on an on-off basis because Rena's new presence in the family meant less free time for the teenage foxes to disappear after class, and homework also began to matter as they grew older. On the brighter side, John's suit business seemed to be faring better and while the Wilde family wasn't rich to the least bit, they certainly weren't on the brink of poverty anymore.

By the time they graduated from high school, Finnick had a few thousands in a cash. He decided to discontinue his studies and go to work however he could, living off the capital he had earned from his younger years. Nick was sad to see his friend go, but he knew the fennec had

"Are you sure about this, Fin? A diploma at the very least could come in handy," the fox reasoned to his long time buddy.

"Nah, I can't get a loan and your pops ain't gonna pay for it so I might as well do something with my life. Think I can put the skills we learned over the years to good use, eh?" Finnick replied in the deep, booming voice that he had developed.

Nick smiled sadly, but he raised his hand in salute. "See ya, buddy. Take care."

"You too, Nick. Ciao." With that, he drove off in the rusty old van that he inherited from his father. It wouldn't be after almost half a decade full of sleeping in the musty interior of the second-hand courier, almost daily small-time scams and hustles with different partners, and keeping a low profile later that he was reunited with his childhood friend, but in tears of loss and grief. Having almost nothing and no one left but each other, the duo set out to make a living again resuming what they hadn't done together for a long time.

And it would have gone smoothly till forever had that bunny not come into their lives. It was almost a year that Nick hadn't contacted him for a 'job', having gone straight. And now Finnick sat at the back of the van that he inherited from his papa with a Bugburga sandwich on the worn leather seat, estimating how much longer his diminishing wealth would last him. By the looks of it, he could withstand another half a year maximum of zero hustling. He was really running out of cash.

Unlike most others, the phrase did not apply in its literal definition. Finnick wasn't careless with his money and to him, 'running out of cash' simply meant that the time he could spend without money entering his pocket was trickling away by the minute. Without a steady income, his survival was hanging by a thread that was constantly becoming thinner, threatening him closer towards the abyss of poverty and starvation.

He cursed Nick for giving up on the two of them. They were the perfect duo! With Nick's wit and charismatic smooth talking coupled with Finnick's physical appearance, they could have gone on forever doing what they did best, and raked in an even larger fortune. But no, Nick had decided to _go straight_ and leave his best friend behind for a rabbit that broke his heart once. Over the three months since the less than appealing press conference where the dumb bunny shot her mouth off, his foxy friend had locked himself up in his house, not wanting to go anywhere or resume hustling.

After a while, the atmosphere grew so toxic with the red fox's moping that Finnick had stopped living in his apartment and slept in his own van. But Nick made up with Officer Toot Toot and seemed to have forgotten about him. Last he heard, Mr. Wilde was a part-timer at some fast food restaurant. At least he wasn't sitting around and wasting time.

 _What am I going to do with that guy_ , Finnick mused as he threw his records aside and unwrapped the sandwich. _He never ceases to surprise me._

And continue to surprise him, Nick did, for right before Finnick took a bite from his Roasted Cricket and Cheese sandwich, his phone screen lit up. On it was a message from a certain red fox, reading _'Hey Toots, get your costume. We're going for a hustle.'_

* * *

 _A/N: I amaze myself, getting this done in two days. It could have been longer but nah, 2.7k words are quite a lot._

 _I know how I promised a chapter about Finnick dealing with Nick becoming a cop, but I suddenly felt the need to have this sort of intermission for several purposes. The importance of this chapter is to make clear how my story ties to the movie. I did mention that it'd be sort of a canon-diverged AU, but the history and connection are not defined._

 _This chapter explores Nick and Fin's friendship and how they came to be. Many stories have already explored and kind of overused (seriously, with 2.2k stories and counting popping up on this site) the stereotype that Nick gets mistreated by the Rangers and Finnick, the cool older brother comes in and takes him under his wing. Also, I explored Fin's character and background, and in the process provided some insight into Nick's history. The way Fin gets portrayed can be rather bland after seeing the same thing all over again. Hot tempered, grouchy, basically an angry little person, acts like a gangster… Less of that here._

 _That's all for now, I'm also going back to revise chapters 1-4 and see how I can touch up so, old readers might want to go back and see what I have changed. Chapter 1 and 2 will receive the most edits, that's for sure._

 _Alright, thanks for reading, I'd appreciate some feedback, so please leave some comments ;) cheers_


	7. Chapter 7: One Last Hustle

_A/N: If you read the last chapter in detail, it was rather dark. This one is more light-hearted. In fact, I can say that I will be writing more cheerful chapters in the future. The importance of fanfiction that writers should ALWAYS remember is that we're writing based on an existing character and we should explore it while not losing sight of the original essence of the character that made us love him/her so much in the first place._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 7: One Last Hustle

They met at the dark alley somewhere in downtown, just like they always did. It was their usual rendezvous location, at a quieter corner where they wouldn't likely be seen by many animals. When Finnick pulled over the driveway, he found his partner standing in the shadows. The red fox was dressed in his usual green, flower-patterned Hawaiian shirt, grey cotton pants, and that stupid tie that clashed with the colour scheme. Nick had his eyes on his phone, but he looked up when Finnick hopped out of the driver seat and slammed the door shut.

"Well, I didn't think you'd be here," Nick remarked, stowing his phone away.

Finnick folded his short arms and scowled. "I could say the same for you. I thought you had gone straight, but now you come out of nowhere and call me for a hustle? What the hell's going on in that head of yours?" he shot back in his bass pitched tone.

Nick grinned cheekily, placing his hands on his hips and bending over as if talking to a naughty cub. "You know you can't resist money. Don't you tell me you're turning down this offer?"

The fennec snorted. Nick got him there; he couldn't let this chance slip away, not when his survival depended on it. 40 bucks could cover him for a week, and God knows when he'd get another shot at hustling. But that aside, Finnick was actually concerned about his friend's well-being. "So how have you been lately? You still working as a waiter or something?" he asked.

"Cashier, actually," Nick corrected, "but I'm good. I just don't work there anymore."

Finnick snorted, putting his sunglasses away. The dank smell of the alley, coupled with the view of dirty cardboard boxes was somewhat oddly comforting. "I wouldn't be surprised. The salary is like crap, as far as I know. How much did they pay you?"

"About a quarter of what we used to earn, I guess," the fox replied, estimating the figures in his head while physically counting off his phalanges.

The smaller fox narrowed his eyes at Nick. Over time, he had gotten good at detecting what his friend and technically foster brother was thinking or feeling. Currently, he sensed that Nick wasn't telling him something. "They fired you, didn't they?" Finnick deadpanned, taking the shot in the dark.

Nick cocked his head and scowled at his short friend. "How did you come to that tragic conclusion? Couldn't I have quitted or something?"

Finnick smiled grimly. From Nick's deflective response, he knew he had scored a bullseye. He pushed on, saying, "I know you well enough that you won't give up a job with a steady income when you haven't found another to jump ship to. That's who you are."

He held up two paw fingers and made his second point. "I also know for fact that foxes are not trusted or liked enough so a simple mistake can get you sacked." Nick's face fell marginally and Finnick steamrolled forward in triumph.

"Lastly, I can tell from your expression that something _did_ happen at work so why don't you just spill what happened and save yourself the interrogation?"

Nick regarded his friend passively for a moment longer before he said, "You think you've got me all figured out, haven't you?"

Finnick snorted. "Well, I've practically lived with you almost my entire life so it wouldn't be a surprise if I _know_ I have."

The cocky smile returned to Nick's face. "Then you're about to be disappointed. Two out of three, Fin. You were right that I wouldn't simply jump ship, plus I did make a mistake and foxes are not popular employees," he paused for effect, "but I did in fact resign from the position and I have also found a new job. Nice try, but no."

The fennec rolled his eyes. After nearly twenty years and he still hadn't completely mastered the ropes of his foster brother. But two out of three did count for something, at least when it came to Nick.

"So what was the mistake you made?"

Nick grimaced at the unpleasant memory. He shrugged it off and said, "It was just a careless mistake on my part. I'll be lucky if I don't get sued for horrible customer service and… anger issues," he said evasively, hoping Fin would pick up the hint.

Thankfully, the smaller mammal did. In a soft, understanding tone, Finnick said, "I get it. You don't have to tell me more if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

Nick gave his friend a grateful smile. "Thanks. Well something good did come from it, I'll say that much. I'll tell you about it after we're done for today."

Finnick cracked his knuckles, ready to get to business. "So what are we going to do today?"

"What we do best," was Nick's simple reply.

Upon hearing that, Finnick's face contorted with confusion. Then he remembered the costume at the back of his van, and he suddenly realised Nick's intention. "Are you crazy? We're not going back to that shop. We got lucky once but that doesn't mean we will be this time!"

Nick wasn't the least bit concerned. "You worry too much. I can handle this. Besides, who knows if that old geezer still works there?"

"You better hope he doesn't," his partner fox shot back.

"On the contrary, I'm counting on it."

* * *

Nick was in an obnoxiously positive mood when he pushed the stroller down the walkway. Every step he took was rhythmic, accompanied by a hum of 'Kumbaya', inaudible over the noise of the city. The humming subsequently became whistling to the tune of 'It's a Small World', at which point Finnick stuck his fingers in his ears to shut it out. Without warning, the Nick burst into song. "Nants Igonyama Bagithi Baba!" he sang, drawing weird looks from passers-by.

Finnick turned to look at his 'parent' with incredulity. He almost shouted, "What the heck are you doing, you nimwit!" but then he remembered that he was supposed to act as the adorable, innocent child. He stuffed the pacifier in his mouth and chewed furiously, venting his annoyance into the piece of rubber and plastic. Nick resumed his pushing, singing 'Circle of Life' under his breath. When Finnick gave him a rude gesture, he shut the hood, only to find the fennec giving him the same gesture through _both_ his hind paws, covered by the greyish fabric of the costume. Quite impressed, he resisted the urge to cackle, and kept his eyes forward.

On their way, Nick threw greetings of "Good morning", "Howdy", and "Lovely day" to complete strangers, all of which returned the sentiment with dumbfound stares and confused looks at the rare sight of a confident, not at all shifty and not even sly-looking _male_ fox pushing a pram in public. A hippo in a jogging suit lumbered towards him. The tight, elastic clothing that pulled against the ungulate's fat looked uncomfortable to Nick, but the jogger didn't seem to notice. The fox deftly moved the stroller out of the way and let the hippo charge past. Nick called, "Looking good, Adam. Keep it up." He was pretty sure that guy's name wasn't likely to be Adam, and he definitely didn't know who he was, but the look on the hippo's face as he passed by was worth it.

In the opposite direction, a mother rabbit pushed a litter of more than a dozen kits in an extended pram. Nick waved at the babies cheerfully and winked at the female bunny. "Nice stroller coaster you've got there." he remarked with as much charm in his voice as he could muster. "Good to see you making more bunnies." He knew that Judy would probably give him a fine whooping for such a statement, so he was certainly glad that she wasn't around to hear it.

It wasn't without repercussions, for the matron glared at him in disgust and picked up the pace, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. The response had dampened Nick's mood slightly, but it wasn't before long that he moonwalked across the street, pulling the pram backwards. He gave his two fingered salute as the drivers of the stopped vehicles watched the bizarre display silently with wide eyes.

When he reached the other side, he passed by a Fine China shop where it could be seen through a window that the shopkeeper, a buffalo, was gently trying to place a smooth porcelain dish together with the ones on display. The sight of a jolly Nick gliding past in his moonwalk and whirling around broke his concentration and he dropped the dish, which shattered onto the floor.

Nick chuckled when his ears picked up the muffled sound of breaking China and a loud curse. Then he dug his heels into the ground when a bicycle bell sounded from down below. He quickly pulled the stroller to a stop to allow for a line of gerbils to ride across his path on their miniscule bikes, smiling down at them. The fox continued to weave his way through the animal crowd, even walking right under a giraffe who paused and looked between his legs at the upside down image of a retreating Nick, swishing his tail and striking a pose from Saturday Night Live.

Soon, they pulled up outside the Popsicle shop, the very place where a harmless day of hustling had turned into the starting point of a chain of both fortunate and unfortunate events. Nick held his head to look at the colossal pink-painted wooden door before him, and at the transparent windows that separated the air-conditioned interior from the warm ambience outside. Yellow words 'Sundaes', 'Cones' and 'Lunch' were written over the windows, and the door had a trunk motive on top, as well as stone carvings of elephant feet that stood sturdily next to it. A wave of nostalgia came over Nick and he stood there in a trance until Finnick's harsh whisper pulled him out of his stupor.

"What are you doing? Hide the stroller, idiot!" the fennec snarled between his teeth.

"Oh, right." Nick quickly pushed the pram into the alley. Finnick got out and they folded it, covering it with cardboard boxes to hide it for collection later. Finnick wore his grey and yellow costume, and he glared up at Nick before demanding in a low voice, "What has gotten into you today?"

Nick shrugged. Despite Fin being angry and snarling, his appearance was too cute to take him seriously. "I feel a bit… nostalgic today. At least I'll remember this over the other times," he responded. Looking over Finnick he spotted an elephant walking past the alley. "Hey let's go, I think that's our ticket in."

Thankfully, Nick's prediction was accurate and the elephant was indeed a customer. They tailed him as inconspicuously as they could, waiting for him to push the door open for their entrance. The door wasn't heavy enough no animal less than a small ram in size could open it, but the foxes knew to conserve their strength. Call them lazy, but why wouldn't they glean benefit if it was handed to them on a proverbial silver platter? It was also a good thing that this particular ice cream parlour attracted customers like flies especially on days where the heat was almost unbearable.

The clinking sound of a bell rang as the door opened. Nick and Finnick walked into the shop, feeling a blast of cool air wash over them. It was pleasurable, and while the foxes (particularly Finnick) were suited to warm-to-scorching hot climates, low temperatures were still very much welcome. Inside, they were met with a lot of… pink.

This was the second time they actually entered the parlour to purchase a Jumbo pop (previously they had bribed unsuspecting elephant kids with five dollars to get them what they wanted) and the colours always dazed him. Many animals believed that foxes were colour-blind, but that wasn't remotely true. Nick was more receptive to Green and Red, so the colours stood out more than others did. That made the lightly toned pink of the painted walls appear to be a jarring blast of colour that made him cringe. Even Fin blinked and scrunched up his face for a while, letting the visual attack subside.

All around them were big wooden tables and chairs made for the gigantic customers that came for ice cream, aside from the cushioned stools provided at the bar. The shop wasn't filled to the brim with animals, but as usual there was a reasonably long queue for ordering at the counter. The service was quick and soon it was Nick's turn.

Nick grinned when he saw the same old geezer that had bluntly rejected him last time. The elephant caught his gaze and his eyes widened before narrowing. "You again. Didn't you get the message from the last time? We don't serve your kind here." He tapped the sign saying 'We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone'.

The fox held up his paws and replied smoothly, "Hold on, mister. You can refuse the right to serve anyone, but why would you refuse to serve a _paying_ customer? Unlike the last time, I have my wallet with me and I got the money." To prove his point, he took out his wallet and extracted the green pieces of paper from it. "Fifteen dollars for a Jumbo Pop, thank you."

Finnick look up at his tall companion questioningly. Wasn't he going to try the sympathy ploy and get a free Popsicle? Nick gave him a wink and he took the cue to run around the parlour and act innocent.

The huge mammal sighed and moaned, "Why is it that you always have to visit my shop and disturb the peace? You can go elsewhere to get snacks that suits your size but you insist on paying more than ten dollars extra for something that you can't possibly finish?"

Nick smiled coolly at the towering elephant and said, "Look, what I do with my money is my own business. If I can afford to buy a Jumbo pop, then for goodness sake let me be. Whether or not my son and I can finish it is a question for another time." He then added following an afterthought, "Besides, I'm buying from one of the best ice cream parlours in this area, am I not?"

The last part was a suck-up tactic that he almost never used. Normally, Nick would have just struggled to rein in his frustration and irritation for not getting things done smoothly. Any thoughts of sucking up when he had to strengthen his mental resolve not to claw at the other's face as well as keep the mask of coolness up. However, he was in too much of a good mood to let anything get him down. To his delight, the compliment fed the elephant's ego and he almost swelled with pride.

"You had better not be breaking the Pop to sell it for profit," he shot at Nick suspiciously.

Nick held his mirth inside. The elephant was half correct on this one, except they weren't _breaking_ it apart. _Not that he needs to know it,_ he mused. Instead, he put on an offended look and retorted, "Excuse me, but that is a ridiculous accusation. Why would I waste my time doing that when I can sit down with my boy to enjoy a good ice cream? Now can I please get my Jumbo Pop already?"

Not wanting to hold up the line, the cashier sighed. "Fine, as long as you eat outside so that I don't have to clean up your mess. So which one do you want?" he grumbled reluctantly.

" _Thank you,_ " he replied, satisfied that the ploy had worked. Beaming in triumph, Nick called out, "Hey Fin sweetheart, we'll go with the red one like last time alright?" Finnick turned around when his name was called, his pretence of being a curious kit still up. He nodded eagerly and trotted over to his 'father'. Nick paid up and they stood aside to wait for their Raspberry flavoured Jumbo Pop. A while later, they headed towards the door with Nick holding an enormous Popsicle. When he turned back to the counter, he found the elephant glaring at him for a moment before his attention returned to the next customer in line.

Nick smirked and pushed the door open with his hind limbs. Stage one was done, and stage two was about to begin.

* * *

Immediately after their successful purchase, they wrapped the Jumbo Pop with damp towels and cranked on the van's air conditioner to full blast. The next step was to melt the frozen dessert in Sahara Square, which wasn't as simple as it sounded. As an artificial ecosystem, the ambient temperature sweltering desert could reach highs of a hundred degrees Fahrenheit during the day, thanks to the climate walls and heat being released from the generators that cooled the neighbouring District, Tundratown.

They found the same roof down that they had used long ago and got to work. The Parlour they had visited was conveniently located at the edge of Downtown, bordering on Sahara Square. The heat was a blanket of that covered the foxes' bodies the moment they stepped out of the van. The effects of the scorching rays became prominent as the Jumbo pop began to melt at an alarming rate. Sweet red liquid dripped onto the pavement, leaving a trail of increasingly big puddles behind Nick as he hurried forward. If they didn't work fast, they would be left with a puddle of sticky goo and fifteen bucks poorer, and that was before counting the cost of gas.

Like before, the tricky part was getting the heavy chunk of melting ice onto the top of the building. Finnick opened the doors at the back of his van and pulled out a collapsible ladder. Contrary to his small physique, the fennec held strength unexpected from one his size. Setting up the apparatus quickly, he then scourged his van for the homemade props and handed them to Nick. To the other pedestrian who just happened stroll past, the sight of a red fox nimbly scrambling up a creaky wooden ladder with a Jumbo Pop over a shoulder and tripod stands made from sticks raptly wound together with rope was just another strange yet forgettable spectacle. To their credit, most of the animals that lived there were nocturnal, and those who passed by didn't seem to be bothered by the sight.

Nick propped the red ice lolly on the set up tripods, then he wiped the sweat off his brow. The jumbo pop began melting more quickly and the red liquid flowed down the overlapping roof tiles into the gutter. Nick signalled for Finnick to get the jars, but the fennec fox was one step ahead of him, already ready with the empty containers at the mouth of the pipe.

Subconsciously, he looked around to see if there was a familiar, hyperactive meter maid clad in that ridiculously glaring clown vest and her joke mobile parked nearby. He shook his head, remembering that Carrots was way past that stage, and she was either on patrol somewhere else or stuck at HQ with tons of paperwork.

The jumbo pop was shrinking by the second, and Nick folded his arms as he watched it disintegrate, trying to tune out the heat. It made him irritable, and he frequently glanced at his friend through his dark shades. Finnick's species was born for the desert, unlike Nick so the heat didn't have that large of an effect on the small vulpine.

 _Lucky him,_ Nick grumbled internally.

A few minutes later, two jars had been filled. Leaping off the roof and sliding down the pipe like he had done hundreds of times before, Nick joined his partner in crime as he scooped the jars into his arms and headed to the van.

Once buckled in, he heard a groan as Fin slammed the door shut and started the engines. Nick grinned because he knew the exact reason of his foster brother's displeasure.

* * *

Thankful of the heater systems installed in Finnick's hunk of a junk vehicle, Nick sighed comfortably in his seat as he stared out of the window at the descending flakes of snow. He knew it was artificially generated precipitation from the environment moderators but it still never ceased to enchant him whenever he set foot in Tundra Town.

Granted, that wasn't too often either. Save the times he and Fin were hustling for a living, he would never have willingly come here. Despite being able to tolerate the cold, he seldom left the comfort of his home unless he was out trying to make a living.

The one affected worse by the cold was Finnick, who grew more fidgety as they approached their usual parking spot. It was obvious that he dreaded stepping out into the cold.

"Oh come on, Fin. You've done this a million times before. It's not like you're going to freeze to death or something," Nick quipped.

Finnick glared at him and snapped back, "Shut up, slick. Just because I can bear it doesn't mean—"

"That you have to like it." Nick rolled his eyes and finished the sentence. "We go through this _every time_ we come here. One would think that a change for once would be nice."

"Hey, I am a _desert fox_. What part of desert fox says anything about being adaptable to freezing climates?" Fin shot back.

Nick snorted. "Yeah, and that is precisely why you're wearing that adorable elephant costume to keep your cute little butt from getting frostbite. WHOA!" he yelped as he lurched forward in his seat. He would have been hurled into the windscreen had he not strapped his seatbelt on.

Massaging his sore spots, he shot the driver an annoyed look. Finnick had stepped on the brakes hard and was smirking at his friend's expense. "Wow, that was rude," Nick muttered. If he had noticed, the fennec didn't show signs of caring.

Parking the van, Finnick sighed. Here came the part of this form of hustling that he liked the least. Nick nudged him and said, "Let's go, dude. Time is money." Unable to resist another jibe, he added, "Do you want me to get you some pink earmuffs to go with your costume?"

Another yelp, barely audible to anyone outside sounded as a certain red fox had his tail squeezed hard.

* * *

Nick was rather out of breath as he lugged the blue ice box containing their 'home made' Pawpsicles to his usual spot near the Lemming Brothers Bank. If only Finnick hadn't created a bigger fuss about his job than he usually did, they would have had more time to work with, and he could have arrived a little sooner to regain his composure.

Glancing upwards, he saw the tall clock and watched as the seconds hand tick count down from five seconds to 4.59pm. At 5pm sharp, the bell chimed and the Lemming brothers began to file out of the bank in their usual queue.

"How come those fuzz balls always get to the door once the bell rings?" Nick muttered, wondering the old age question that had plagued his mind ever since he started this business. Shrugging it off and clearing his throat, he called, "Get your pawpsicles!"

As usual, he missed the first few well-dressed rodents in line. The one who noticed immediately brightened up and shuffled over in his direction, leading the whole queue astray. Nick grinned to himself, ready to receive his payload for the day.

And so they did away with the last part of the routine, which meant hauling in their lumber stockade to Little Rodentia. If the mice were suspicious about the delivery of 'red wood' resembling large icicle sticks, they didn't question it. Workers were merely paid to do their job, not to overthink.

As the sun set on the horizon, the two foxes stood in the alley where Fin's van was parked, counting their gains for the day. Fin stuck out his paw as Nick drew the huge stack of one dollar bills from his pockets. To his surprise, Nick counted fifty dollars for himself and handed the rest to the shorter fox.

Fin's jaw slackened and dropped his pacifier. He looked at the cash and back at Nick. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

Nick smiled and stowed his earnings away. Licking his pawpsicle, he replied, "It's just enough for me. 15 dollars that I owe cottontail, 15 for the cost, and 20 for carrots and groceries."

"Are you serious? Wha—did I hear you say _carrots_? Why the hell would you need carrots for?"

"Well, I've got a bunny who sometimes forgets to eat her dinner after work so I thought I might keep something in my fridge for times like that," Nick explained.

Finnick frowned and then understood. He reached forward and yanked his partner's tie downwards, causing him to yelp and stumble. In his snout, he shouted, "Are you out of your goddamn mind? She a rabbit, you are a _fox._ You. Can't. Get. Along!"

Ears ringing from his friend's outburst, Nick pried his tie free and smoothened it out. "Careful with the tie, dude. It ain't cheap, you know. For your information, we get along just fine. In fact, she's the reason you're getting more than double your usual pay."

Fin patted his pocket and scowled. "What do you mean by that?"

Nick shrugged. "Last hustle. Like you said, I've gone straight. Told ol' Carrots I wouldn't do this kinda stuff again, and technically I am not actually hustling because I didn't earn anything. Just helping out a friend out of kindness and in returning getting a tip, am I right?"

His foster brother glared at him. Finnick snorted and sighed. "I've lived with you for almost two decades and I still can't figure out what's going on in that wretched sack of schist you have as a head. First you go straight, and now you're telling me that _Officer Toot-toot_ of all mammals is the reason. Next you'll be telling me you want to be a cop. Don't you remember how much heartache she caused you?"

Now that was a topic he didn't like being brought up at any time of the day. Rolling his eyes, Nick shot back impatiently, "Look, do you want the money or not? I could just treat it as my friend being awfully generous and offering all his earnings to me." He reached out towards to grab the cash from Fin.

Finnick swatted his paw away and stuffed the cash into his pocket. "Buzz off, furbrain," he growled.

Nick threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Okay, okay. So are we done here? I have to get back soon. Carrots will probably be coming over tonight."

Nodding, Finnick turned and went back to his van. Scrambling into his seat, he slammed the door shut. He caught the pacifier that Nick tossed at him. He grinned slyly and said, "Remember to invite me to your wedding. Ciao." With that, he drove off into the distance.

Nick hollered back, "Don't count on it!" In response, a small thumbs up stuck out of the driver's window as the vehicle rolled off. Shaking his head amusedly, the red fox walked back home, cheerfully sucking on his melting Pawpsicle. Halfway, he remembered that he hadn't told Finnick about his decision to join Judy in the ZPD ranks.

 _Eh, Fin will find out anyhow. I can already imagine what his reaction will be like,_ he thought as he smiled deviously.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the late update. I know, I'm always busy and forever not free to write. Well, I'm not sure any normal Pharmacy student would have much time to write at all. Anyway, I enjoyed writing this chapter for various reasons. We get to see the funnier side of Nick, the one that only shows itself when he is around friends._

 _In case you don't know, the 'Happy Nick on the Streets' scene was based off the deleted scene/concept art and I had a lot of fun putting it onto paper (well, digital paper or—argh who cares). And by the way, I REALLY love this two "brothers" for what they are. I think there's more to Fin than just the short tempered, shout-y guy he's always written as. I really suggest reading the previous chapter in detail, because it's my take on his character._

 _I'd also really appreciate feedback on the story so far. Hope you take a short while to leave a review and let me know what you think. Till the next update!_


	8. Chapter 8: Unintended Sleepovers

_A/N: Hey again. It's been months since I updated. Hope you enjoy this one._

* * *

Chapter 8: Unintended sleepovers

Some nights when Judy stumbled into Nick's apartment after a late shift, hungry and worn out from the duties of the day. All she wanted would be to curl up on the couch and flick idly through Nick's expansive collection of (possibly illegally obtained) TV channels in his company to take her mind off work after dinner. Usually she was the one who prepared the food but she'd text Nick if she'd be late and he'd order takeout, then she'd rest herself a bit and head back to her own place. However, there were times when fatigue overtook her and she passed out until next morning, when she woke with a shock and hurried to work after a quick shower and putting on the same un-ironed uniform from yesterday.

It also seemed that those unexpected sleepovers were getting more frequent, so much that she had actually left a spare set of uniform at Nick's place just in case, a spare set that was somehow always washed clean and ironed smooth the next time even though she never had the time to do it herself.

Tonight was one of those nights, and the rabbit cop tiredly unlocked the door to her friend's home and trudged across the cold tiles into the kitchen, where she found the fox sitting at the dining room, an opened can of cold beer and a few paper boxes of food placed on the table.

She heard the sound of keys clicking as he typed what Judy guessed was another one of his renown jokester comments on Furbook, then the smell of Chinese food wafted into her nostrils and she inhaled the fragrance deeply. Nick set his phone face down on the table when his ears pricked up at the sound of a large intake of breath, smiling warmly at his friend's haphazard appearance. Judy half expected a sarcastic, snippy remark from him but was surprised when he said, "Hot water is in the master bathroom tub, soap on the racks. Go soak yourself for a while before eating. Try not to fall asleep and drown, eh carrots?"

Judy blinked and nodded slowly, the hospitality catching her off guard. She headed straight to the bathroom Nick had mentioned and surely enough, the ceramic tub in it was filled with steaming hot water. Removing her clothes, she dipped a paw into the water. The heat was soothing, just right for a late night soak.

She lowered herself into the tub, moaning in relaxation as the warmth seeped into her body. There she lay for five minutes, enjoying the pleasant feeling that was coursing through every fibre of her very being. She wondered, _did Nick set this up for her?_

 _Not likely… He probably just prepared it for himself and took pity on you, that's why he let you have it,_ the sceptical part of her mind replied. Feeling too tired to argue, she let the idea slide and turned her focus back towards the blissful comfort. She submerged further into the bath, until her eyes were barely above the water.

She exhaled through her snout, watching the air bubbles float to the top and escape into the steamy air, then the rabbit sighed contentedly as she resurfaced for breath. Having late night dips like this could be considered a luxury, as her rented accommodation did not feature such a tub. _Perhaps I should ask Nick if I can stay at his place instead,_ she considered. She stayed that way in the tub for a while longer before she reached for the soap and began to cleanse herself thoroughly, not wanting to delay dinner any longer.

Not long after, Judy approached the dining table in a pink bathrobe that had once belonged to Rena Wilde. Initially, she felt uncomfortable with the knowledge that it had belonged to his long gone sister when she was a kit. When asked why he still kept his sister's old things, Nick had shrugged and said that he kept most his family members' belongings. They were his heirlooms after all. She had dropped the topic when she sensed her friend's discomfort at discussing it.

Nick had just opened his box and was holding up a half-chewed shrimp dumpling using chopsticks. He swallowed and quipped, "Took you long enough, thought you had fallen asleep or something. I was hungry."

Judy shrugged in response, then she sat down and pulled her own box towards her. To her pleasant surprise, Nick had ordered her favourite fusion style noodles, with extra carrots and lettuce as well.

"Were you expecting me tonight?" she asked. It was a dumb question, because she had turned up every night for the week, fatigued and starved.

"Ha, I think my predatory senses served me well." He winked at her. It was good enough an answer for her. Picking up her chopsticks, the starved rabbit dug in happily, dignity be darned.

Nick chuckled at the sight and told her to slow down. "You're eating like a savage, carrots. You'll choke at that rate," he said as he watch his friend inhale her dinner. Judy slurped the noodles in large amounts until her cheeks bulged, leaving several stringy ends dangling from her mouth. Before she could swallow, Nick quickly whipped out his phone and snapped a picture of her.

"Hey, don't take a photo of me without permission!" Judy protested, but the sound that came out of her mouth clearly did not mean that. It was something like _uui onn ade a wuhwuh oo mmm mmduh numnumnum._

"Didn't your parents tell you not to speak with a full mouth?" Nick teased. Judy chewed furiously and swallowed, but she began to choke. She made a gagging sound and thumped her chest, looking like she was about to puke. All playfulness gone and replaced with concern and alertness, Nick stood up and went over to help her. Placing a paw on Judy shoulder, he was prepared to give her the Heimlich at any moment.

To his surprise, the rabbit swiped his phone from his paw and deleted the photo from his album. Nick could only stare in confusion and shock as he watched her tap the trash bin icon and the picture vanished from sight. Then he realised that he had been duped. He looked down and found Judy grinning up at him.

"Well, you fell for my little act," she said cheerfully, handing Nick's phone back to him. "I wasn't Best Junior Actress for five years in a row for nothing."

Nick snorted and returned to his seat. He bit into another dumpling. The food was starting to get cold. "You had me worried for a second there, you know."

Judy rolled her eyes and smiled. She appreciated the concern, but she was more than aware about taking things too far. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart. You got fooled," she said cockily.

"Sly bunny," Nick said with a smile of his own. This little rabbit had as many tricks up her sleeves as he had.

"Dumb fox," was her reply.

 _Not as dumb as you think, carrots,_ he mused silently. His photos were all saved immediately to Cloud storage after the shots were taken, and all Judy had removed was the copy in his phone. But she didn't need to know that, did she?

* * *

After dinner, the two mammals spent the rest of the night scrolling through the channels on TV. Nick had cable, with extra channels as well. Judy suspected that he had pulled some strings to get them, though Nick had denied it heartily. Still, she didn't have the energy to lecture him about it.

They sat on the couch. Well, Nick _sat_ on the couch anyway. Judy lay down with her head on the armrest, relaxing after a satisfying full meal. Her feet rested on Nick's thigh, and her hugged Nick' fluffy tail.

"Carrots, can you stop it with my tail?" Nick deadpanned as he clicked on the remote. He looked really bored. He had reached the range of sports channels. He paused to watch Darren Muzzleton do an impressive trick shot before he changed the channel. The next one was football.

"Sorry, Nick. It's too fluffy." She cooed as she rubbed her cheek on it.

"You don't like it when I touch your tail."

"That's different! It feels like you're touching my butt."

"With a butt like that, who can resist?"

"Har, har. Very funny."

The screen continued showing seconds of scenes before it was cut away.

' _Come on, Ham old buddy, don't let me down.'_

' _\- sunny tomorrow, though for the first time –'_

' _This could be reasonable evidence for the existence of hoomans –'_ Nick snorted. Conspiracy theorists.

' _Research has shown that whales were possibly once related to horses. Here in Aqualantis –'_

"You know, I've been considering moving in."

"With me? You're gonna have to pay me rent, you know that right?"

"As long as it's not more than what I am giving that old armadillo."

"Fair enough."

"I'm moving in in two weeks."

Nick shrugged non-commitedly as he reached the movie channels. It would be nice to have someone living with him again. Finnick almost never came over these days, that little hermit. Unimpressed by the current choice of aired shows, he randomly picked a channel. HBO was airing Pig Hero 6 and they were at the point where Hiro discovers the Masked Mammal's true identity.

' _But the explosion… You died!'_

Judy sat up straight, telling Nick not to change the channel. Pig Hero 6 was one of her all-time favorites. She watched intently as the show progressed on, latching onto Nick's bushy tail tightly as the intensity in the movie grew. Hiro discarded Baymax's personality chip and engaged its aggressive mode, sending it to attack the unarmed Callagham. Her eyes were glued to the screen, feeling every bit of emotion that the show caused. Next to her, Nick studied her expressions amusedly.

Suddenly her phone rang, startling her and pulling her out of her absorbed state. It was a video call from her parents. She moaned, not wanting to miss out the best part. Nick smiled and said, "Don't worry, I am recording it. You don't want to miss this call." Gratefully, she tapped the green icon and her phone loaded the live video of her parents.

"Judy! How are you? My goodness, you never call these days."

"Yeah, your mother and I have been so worried about – hey, this isn't your room. Where are you, young lady?" Her father, the ever paranoid Stu Hopps demanded to know the whereabouts of his daughter.

"Mom, dad, I'm fine. I have been really busy these days. Sorry I forgot to call. I'm at my friend's place right now."

"Friend? Which friend? How many friends do you have? You shouldn't be out so late at night!"

"Dad, calm down. I'm with Nick right now."

Bonnie Hopps blinked several times. " _The_ Nick? Your best friend? The one that you mentioned before?" Nick beamed at her and put a paw over his chest. "Aww, carrots," he mouthed lovingly. Judy told him to shut up.

"No, not you, mom. I was telling Nick to shut up. He's being smug again."

"Ooh, can we meet him?" Her parents looked at her expectantly and eagerly. She hesitated, glancing at Nick. He cocked his head as to say, _up to you_.

"Umm, alright." She sat closer to Nick and angled the phone so that the lens could capture the both of them. Nick raised an eyebrow and gave the camera his best smirk. "What's up, Mr and Mrs Hopps?"

The immediate change in her parent's expressions was so obvious even a shrew couldn't have missed it. Stu's face went from curiosity to shock and then became something of a mix of panic and being constipated. Bonnie's expectant countenance morphed into an unsure one. Judy and Nick were expecting it, as well as the outburst from Stu that followed.

"Why didn't you mention that your best friend is a fox? I thought it was a handsome bunny or something," he exploded. The loudness of his voice crackled from the speakers of Judy's phone.

"Because I knew this would happen if I did," she replied. She rolled her eyes, while Nick snorted derisively.

"You could have at least said something. We had even planned your wedding for you!"

"WHAT?!" It was Judy's turn to screech. She shoved Nick out of the camera range and shouted at her phone. "Why would you plan a wedding for me? I don't even plan to get married that soon!"

"Honey, you said you had a best friend that you were inseparable to. We just kind of assumed that you meant a best bunny friend, and you know how bunnies usually marry their best friends? Your father and I got married that way." Bonnie explained, pleading for Judy to be understanding.

The rabbit cop groaned. "Mom, I live in _Zootopia_ now. Why on earth did you just go about and assume that my best friend would so conveniently be a bunny? Besides, what's wrong with foxes? You work with Gideon Grey, for crying out loud!"

"Well…"

Nick adjusted the camera so that he was in it too. "Mr Hopps, Mrs Hopps. You don't have to worry about me eating your daughter. She'd probably give me indigestion with her attitude. Ow!" He rubbed his side where Judy had elbowed him. The Hopps parents watched the interaction in fascination, though Stu's paranoia grew even more.

"Why are you two so close to each other? Is he your boyfriend? Oh my god, he _is_ your boyfriend!"

"What? No!"

Stu continued his rant. "I knew there was something different about you since you were born. But this? I didn't realise why you kept turning down the males back in BunnyBurrows. You have a pred fetish!"

Nick burst out laughing. He held his stomach as he rolled on the floor. Judy looked like she was about to hurl her phone at the wall.

"Dad! Oh, come on. That has gone too far. We're _friends,_ dad."

Still laughing, Nick wiped a tear from his eye. He peeked into the camera again. "We're friends alright. Judy and I are _very_ well acquainted." He winked for effect. Judy pushed his head out of the picture, rolling her eyes.

"Not helping, Nick!" she yelled.

It worked like a charm. Her father whimpered. "You have… _consummated_?" He toppled animatedly like a bowling pin, eyes rolled up inside his head. Bonnie shook her head and covered her face.

"Your father tends to overact a lot. Dear, could you pass the phone to Nick please? I want to talk to him." Judy did as she requested, feeling wary about it.

"Hello, Mrs Hopps."

Bonnie smiled. "Please, call me Bonnie. You're quite a handsome fox, Nick. How old are you?"

"Uhh, I'm 32."

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so much older than Judy. Are you taking good care of her?"

Nick looked at Judy and smiled. "Yes, I am." Judy returned it as well.

Contented with the answer, Bonnie said, "Good. My daughter trusts you so I trust you too. Based on what she told us, you seem like a very good mammal. Whatever your relationship is, we won't make a great deal out of it." She glanced at her unconscious husband on the floor. "He'll come to accept it as well."

"Oh no, ma'am. Bonnie. We're friends, we're not… what you think we are"

Bonnie didn't look too convinced, but she certainly looked a bit relieved. "I see. I wish you good luck and blessed day (or night), Nick. Now, could you pass the phone back to Judy?" he did so.

"Right, Judy dear. We were actually wondering when you'd come back home to visit. It's been a long while since you dropped by and your siblings miss you. We miss you."

Judy thought for a moment. "I don't know… I'm always busy."

"What about the pre-winter preparation? Christmas?"

"I'll have to ask my Chief, mom. Maybe I can take a week off or so, but I can't promise."

Bonnie looked downcast at the answer, but there was a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Keep us posted on that, alright? Your brothers and sisters have all gone to bed. Do you want to say hi?"

"Oh, no. Don't wake them up. I'll record a special video later or tomorrow for them." Her mother nodded.

"Okay, don't sleep too late. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, mom." The call ended, returning to Judy's home screen. She sighed.

Nick studied her face. He spoke. "So… pre-winter preparation?"

"Yeah, it's a tradition in the Burrows. We throw a celebration using what's leftover that our food storage for the winter can't hold, then we prepare for the winter. There's a fair as well. Lots of fun. You should come!"

"I don't know." Nick rubbed his head. "Your parents don't seem to be the type to be quite enthusiastic about me coming along."

Judy dismissed the thought with a wave. "Nah, don't worry. They'll live. After all, I can't just leave you here alone while I go back and celebrate, can I?"

Nick smiled warmly. "No, I suppose you can't."

"Great! Now let's finish the movie."

They resumed from where they had left off. The fight ensued. Hiro's team stopped Baymax's brutal rampage, and Callagham managed to escape. Nick felt his heartstrings being tugged as Hiro watched a recording of his brother's video logs projected onto Baymax's chest. He felt a wet sensation and noticed that Judy was quietly sobbing into his tail. He pulled her close into a one arm hug. She stiffened for a brief moment, then relaxed as she leaned into his side. They continued watching until the final battle. Nick was so absorbed into the fighting sequence. When he noticed that Judy wasn't making a sound, he looked down at her.

The bunny was fast asleep. Her tiredness had taken over and lulled her into slumber. Not even the explosions and intense action was enough to keep her awake. Nick turned down the volume, picked her up and brought her to the guest room. It would be her room in two weeks.

The room had once belonged to his sister, but as time passed he turned it into a storage area for his family heirlooms. Since Judy started sleeping over at night, he had had to make sure the place wasn't too dusty for her sensitive nose. After she moves in, all his stuff would have to be stored in Finnick's old room, which he hadn't touched since he left.

Nick cradled the sleeping bunny like he would a child. Judy looked absolutely adorable when she was asleep. Her nose twitched occasionally, and she was still latched onto his tail. He set her down on her bed as gently as possible and removed his tail. Judy began feeling about for something to hug the second her embrace was emptied. Nick passed the bolster and she snuggled it comfortably.

Covering her small frame with the blanket, he couldn't help but smile. He then planted a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving the room, shutting the door lightly behind him.

 _Yeah, it definitely wouldn't be bad to have someone to live with him again after all._

He was starting to think that these sleepovers weren't so unintended after all.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm not that good at writing fluff. Is this considered fluff? It's very nice friendship fluff._

 _Anyway for those wondering, Nick and Judy's relationship is one of those will they won't they friendships. They're already past the normal best friends stage, though whether they're a couple or not is up to you to read into._

 _Please leave a review! See you (hopefully) soon._


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